Young left-hander Pradosh Ranjan Paul showed admirable character while notching up his maiden first-class ton, keeping Tamil Nadu firmly in sight of their first outright win against a circumspect Delhi on day three of the Ranji Trophy Group B game here on Thursday.
Courtesy a career-best 124 from Pradosh along with useful contributions from all-rounder Vijay Shankar (52) and tailender Aswin Crist (32), Tamil Nadu declared their first innings on 427 for 8.
Delhi lost Anuj Rawat by close of play to reach 28 for 1 and are still 96 runs behind going into the final day.
Only one team can log home full points from this game and that is Tamil Nadu, provided they can bundle out Delhi within two sessions keeping the light-factor in mind.
On three days, 76, 75.1 and 70 overs of play has been possible due to poor visibility as the light deteriorates quickly in this part of the country during the winter.
Tamil Nadu captain Baba Indrajith rightly declared even though they had a chance of stretching the lead in the region of 175 but the sporting declaration was more about keeping the time factor in mind.
bad light, dhawan & Akash frustrate UK
Dehradun: Weather and Himachal Pradesh middle-order batters, Akash Vasisht and Rishi Dhawan, continued to frustrated hosts Uttarakhand's push towards victory on day three of the Group A match with the visitors reaching 327 for four at stumps.
After being bundled out for just 49 in the first innings and staring at an innings defeat following Uttarakhand's 336, Himachal have made amends in the second innings by wiping out the deficit and also taking a small 40-run lead.
For the visitors, Vasisht and Dhawan continued from where they had left off on Wednesday on 277 for 4, with the former just eight runs short of his century, while Dhawan completed his half century in the 14 overs that were possible on Thursday due to bad light.
Himachal are still not out of the woods as a flurry of early wickets on the last day of the match on Friday will be enough to send them hurtling towards defeat.
Gujarat in command
Ahmedabad: Skipper Priyank Panchal hammered an unbeaten 257 to help Gujarat take a massive 292-run first innings lead against Chandigarh on day three of their Elite Group D match.
Resuming at an overnight score of 249 for 3, Panchal marched on to score a superb double century and his mammoth 307-run unbeaten stand for the fifth wicket with M A Hingrajia (151 not out, 12 fours, 2 sixes) put Chandigarh on the mat.
At stumps, the home team had reduced Chandigarh to 46 for 2, still 246 runs behind and staring at an innings defeat.
In Nagpur, left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq bowled Jammu & Kashmir to a 39-run win over Vidharbha, returning with a eight-wicket haul.
K'taka set for big lead against goa
Porvorim: Karnataka looked set to secure a big first innings lead against Goa despite fighting half-centuries by three of the home team's batters on day three of their Elite Group C match.
At stumps, Goa were 321 for 8 with captain Darshan Mishal battling it out on 66 not out (134 balls, 9 fours, 1 six) after Karnataka piled up 603 for 7 declared.
At Thumba, hosts Kerala saw Chattisgarh fight back through its captain Harpreet Singh Bhatia as they looked to set a fighting target after having conceded a big first innings lead.
Bhatia's 152 (228 balls, 12 fours, 3 sixes) was the lone bright spot as the other batters failed to offer him support.