Having set the visiting team a target of 240, Odisha reduced Pondicherry to 175/8 before time ran out on the fourth and final day.

The draw gave Odisha 3 points, by virtue of first-innings lead, for a total of 12 points after five games. Odisha, currently in fifth place, will require full points from their last two games to have an outside chance of making the knockout stage.

After being all out for 201 in their second innings, Odisha pacers Rajesh Mohanty and Sunil Roul reduced Pondicherry to 0 for 2, sending back both openers without scoring.

A 55-run partnership followed, before Sunil Roul struck.

Odisha then faced strong resistance from Paras Ratnaparkhe (72) and Arun Karthik (58 not out).

Once their 89-run stand was broken by Harshit Rathod, Odisha made further inroads to push for victory.

But skipper Karthik stood firm till the end to deny Odisha victory.

Biplab Samantaray and Rajesh Mohanty bagged 2 wickets each, while Pradhan, Roul, Rathod and Govinda Poddar claimed one apiece.

Brief Scores

Odisha 322 & 201 (Govinda Poddar 46; Sagar Udeshi 4/45, Gaurav Yadav 3/48).

Pondicherry 284 & 175/8 (Paras Ratnaparkhe 72, Arun Karthik 58 not out; Biplab Samantaray 2/28, Rajesh Mohanty 2/41).

Result: Match drawn.

Points: Odisha 3, Pondicherry 1.

Standings: 12 points in 5 matches (5th), Pondicherry 13 pts in 5 matches (3rd).

Odisha’s next match: Vs Uttarakhand (from Feb 9 at Cuttack).

Baroda, having grabbed a lead of 173 runs, scored a at a rapid rate in their second innings to declare at 258/4.

Set a victory target of 432 runs, Odisha openers Shantanu Mishra and Anurag Sarangi got off to a cautious and solid start at Vadodara’s Motibag Stadium.

Sarangi fell for a well-compiled 56 in the closing minutes of play as Odisha went to stumps on Day 3 at 103/1.

Skipper Shantanu is unbeaten on a gritty 41, having already faced 117 deliveries. All other specialist batsmen will have to show similar application if Odisha are to knock off 329 more runs required for victory, or bat out the entire day to force a draw.

Baroda’s second innings was powered by Shashwat Rawat (102) and skipper Vishnu Solanki (79), who added 139 runs for the third wicket at more than 4.5 runs an over.

Medium-pacer Debabrata Pradhan was Odisha’s standout bowler, registering figures of 2/20 in 13 overs.

Brief scores

Baroda 351 & 258/4 declared (Shashwat Rawat 102, Vishnu Solanki 79; Debabrata Pradhan 2/20).

Odisha 178 & 103/1 (Anurag Sarangi 56, Shantanu Mishra 41*).

Match to continue on final day.