Pujara's ton puts Saurashtra on top

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Rajkot: Cheteshwar Pujara's third consecutive hundred helped Saurashtra pile up 643 runs for the loss of four wickets on the second day of the Ranji Trophy elite division match against Mumbai at Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground here.

Resuming at their overnight 285 for one, Saurashtra lost Chirag Pathak in the morning session. Pathak made 170, spent 448 minutes at the crease faced 335 balls with 17 fours and two sixes.

Departure of Pathak brought the in-form Pujara to the crease and he did not waste time to get settled and started attacking mercilessly before completing his third consecutive century in as many innings.

Pujara, who had 302 not out against Orissa and 189 against Punjab, took 119 balls to complete his ton and became more aggressive after reaching the three digit as he took just 30 balls to score another fifty runs.

He, however, was bowled by leg spiner Sairaj Bahutule while trying to play an ambitious shots when he was on 176.

Bahutule, who was bowling outside the leg stumps to check the run flow, finally got the reward when Pujara tried to lift him over long on but missed it to tally and was bowled.

Pujara spent 176 minutes at the middle hitting 21 fours and two sixes off 173 balls knock.

While Kotak's patient 78 came off 213 balls with seven fours. The duo added 179 runs for the fourth wicket. Ravindra Jadeja was batting on 42 (92b, 4X4) and skipper Jaydev Shah was on 25 934b, 5X4) when stumps were drawn for the day. Saurashtra made 643 for the loss of four wickets off 177 overs.

For Mumbai, Usman Malvi took two wickets conceding 122 runs while Sairaj Bahutule got a wicket for 153.