A cautious Karnataka eased past Tripura’s first-innings total on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B encounter here on Tuesday.

Scoring at 3.2 runs per over for the day, Karnataka reached 297 for seven to take a lead of 103 runs. It was hardly a fluent display, but the home team secured an innings lead for the first time in three outings this season.

Opener Rohan Patil (72, 130b, 9x4), playing his second first-class match, laid the foundation. K.V. Aneesh (68, 142b, 6x4) dug in for his third consecutive half-century, content to defend resolutely. Karun Nair, by contrast, brought some fluency, scoring 63 off 85 balls.

After putting in the hard yards, Rohan and Aneesh will rue the manner of their dismissals. Rohan fell while attempting to flick a full delivery from seamer Abhijit Sarkar, only to be struck on the pads. Aneesh, meanwhile, scooped a short ball from spinner Parvez Sultan to mid-wicket.

Attack

Karun was the lone batter willing to take the attack to the opposition. He was severe on Tripura captain Manisarkar Murasingh, driving the pacer through cover and mid-on for boundaries.

Negotiating the low bounce expertly off the front foot, Karun kept the bowlers at bay in a 105-run fourth-wicket partnership with Aneesh.

His dismissal came against the run of play when he missed an innocuous delivery from off-spinner Sandip Sarkar. Though well forward, Karun was adjudged leg-before-wicket.

After skipper Shreyas Gopal was bowled by a Sultan arm ball, Tripura nudged the door ajar when K.L. Shrijith (13) drove one to the hands of cover.

Karnataka may have shown excessive respect to an attack that offered little genuine threat, but substance over style remained the order of the day.

The scores:

Tripura — 1st innings: 194.

Karnataka — 1st innings: Rohan Patil lbw b Abhijit 72, Mayank Agarwal c Paul b Abhijit 1, V. Vyshak c Sentu b Sandip 12, K.V. Aneesh c Sandip b Sultan 68, Karun Nair lbw b Sandip 63, Aneeshwar Gautam (batting) 33, Shreyas Gopal b Sultan 19, K.L. Shrijith c Bikramkumar b Abhijit 13, Manvanth Kumar (batting) 6; Extras (lb-8, nb-2): 10; Total (for seven wkts. in 95 overs): 297.

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-36, 3-118, 4-223, 5-225, 6-265, 7-285.

Tripura bowling: Murasingh 14-5-38-0, Abhijit 17-3-59-3, Bikramjit 11-2-35-0, Sandip 26-2-83-2, Sultan 27-2-74-2.