Cheteshwar Pujara helped Saurashtra to a 20-run first innings lead against Assam in the semi-final with his first century of the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy season. The top-order bat, who was yet to score a half-century in the ongoing season, bolstered the team with a timely century and was unbeaten on 116 off 212 balls in the crucial game. His patient knock has kept the team in a commanding position in Vadodara.

In the other semi-final in Cuttack, Naman Ojha played a similar role for Madhya Pradesh as he held the innings together with an unbeaten 79 on Day 2 in reply to Mumbai’s first innings score 371. Here’s a look into what transpired on the second day: Saurashtra vs Assam – SF 1: Assam 1st inn 234/10 (A Verma 98, D Goswami 22, J Unadkat 6/77); Saurashtra 1st inn 254/5 (C Pujara 116*, S Jackson 47, A Das 3/68) Lead by 20 runs Jaydev Unadkat (6 for 77) claimed the remaining three wickets after Assam resumed their innings on 193 for seven to bowl the opposition out for 234 in the morning. He dismantled Dhiraj Goswami's stumps while Arup Das departed taking the aerial route off the pacer. Amit Verma, who had held fort for Assam, was the last to return to the pavilion, missing out on a well deserved century by just two runs. His mistimed pull was caught at square-leg giving Unadkat two wickets off two balls. Avi Barot and Sagar Jogiyani then came out to script Saurashtra's reply but after biding their time both were out just a little while before lunch. Assam pacers - Krishan Das and Arup - got the wickets which brought Cheteshwar Pujara to the crease in the first session. The No 3 batsman, who hadn't been amongst runs thus far in the tournament, dug his heels in as he worked to build the innings. While Saurashtra lost Arpit Vasavada to Arup, he forged a vital partnership with Sheldon Jackson to tip the game in Saurashtra's favour.

The pair took the team to Tea at 117 for three. They continued to bat at an unhurried pace as they blunted the Assam attack at the Reliance Stadium. The stand was worth 69 when Jackson edged J Syed Mohammed to backward point. Seven runs later, Arup dislodged Jaydev Shah's bails to give the team an important breakthrough. However, Pujara found an able ally in Chirag Jani to help overhaul Assam's first innings total and secure a lead. Pujara, who had played a disciplined knock for the better part of the day was involved in an unbroken 93-run stand with the middle-order batsman at Stumps. MP vs Mumbai - SF 2: Mum 1st inn 371/10 (S Lad 60, S Thakur 27, B Sandhu 21*, C Sakure 5/137, P Datey 2/98); MP 1st inn 197/5 (N Ojha 79*, A Dane 27*, B Sandhu 2/41) Trail by 174 runs Puneet Datey claimed overnight batsmen - Siddhesh Lad (60) and Shardul Thakur (27) - to leave Mumbai at 350 for nine after resuming on 327 for seven. Chandrakant Sakure, who had made his debut in the quarter-final against Bengal, finished with a maiden five-for as he accounted for Badre Alam to bowl the opposition out for 371. The MP pacers - Ishwar Pandey, Datey and Sakure - claimed nine wickets between them in Mumbai's first innings in the crucial clash. The Mumbai pacers too bowled at a good economy of below three runs an over to keep the flow of runs in check. With pacers getting purchase from the wicket, Mumbai bowled five of them – Shardul Thakur, Sandhu, Badrey Alam, Abhishek Nayar and Bhavin Thakker besides the left-arm spin of Iqbal Abdullah to keep the opposition in check. Sandhu struck upfront to give Mumbai the key wicket of Jalaj Saxena in the fourth over, while Badre disrupted opener Aditya Shrivastava's woodwork. At 20 for two, Naman Ojha came to the crease in the first session and anchored the innings; helping MP to 197 for five until Stumps with an unbeaten 79 off 182 balls. The wicketkeeper batsman stoically held up one end as MP lost two more wickets in the second session. Rajat Patidar and Devendra Bundela were sent back by Abdullah and Nayar off successive overs at 78 for four. With Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Naman took the team to Tea at 99 for two. He found an able ally in Bhatia until Sandhu struck again to end the stand for 59. The middle-order batsman then worked to forge a partnership with Ankit Dane and the pair took the team to Stumps in an unbroken 60-run partnership. Mumbai managed just the one wicket in the last session as Naman held the innings together