Kerala pacer Sandeep Warrier picked up a couple of wickets. File photoKottayam: Hyderabad were battling to avert follow-on in their Ranji Trophy Group C match against Kerala in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
Hyderabad were 231/7 at stumps on the third and penultimate day of the contest in reply to Kerala's first innings total of 517/9 declared. They need a further 137 runs to avoid the follow-on.
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Pacer Sandeep Warrier, left-arm spinner K.S. Monish and off-spinner Jalaj Saxena picked up a couple of wickets apiece for Kerala, while Iqbal Abdulla, who hit a career-best unbeaten 159, chipped in with a scalp.
Bavanaka Sandeep made 53 for Hyderabad, while Akash Bhandari hit 40. Mehdi Hassan (26 batting) and Chama Milind (4 batting) will resume duty for Hyderabad on Sunday.
Earlier, Kerala, who resumed on 506/9, added 11 more runs in one over before declaring their first innings. Abdulla's 217-ball knock contained 14 fours and six sixes.
Brief scores: Kerala 517/9 declared in 181 overs (Iqbal Abdulla 159 not out; Mehdi Hassan 3/134) vs Hyderabad 231/7 in 87 overs (Bavanaka Sandeep 53, Akash Bhandari 40; Sandeep Warrier 2/41).
