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Narendra Modi Stadium: Mohammed Azharuddeen’s long-awaited century, his second in First-Class cricket and his first in seven years, and half-centuries by Sachin Baby and Salman Nizar ensured Kerala took firm control of the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Gujarat here on Tuesday. Azharuddeen’s unbeaten 149 off 303 balls, decorated with 17 boundaries, was the cornerstone of Kerala’s innings as they reached 418 for seven at the end of day two.

Kerala continued with their innings on Tuesday on a shaky note when Sachin Baby edged one to the slip cordon on the second ball of the day. However, Azharuddeen, along with Salman Nizar, forged a crucial 149-run partnership for the sixth wicket, steadying the innings after Baby’s early dismissal. While the first day had been a defensive grind, the second saw a slight shift in tempo, with Salman holding one end and Azharuddeen taking charge of the scoring.

Arzan Nagwaswalla, armed with a relatively new ball, found movement in the air and struck early to remove Baby. But his efforts were not enough to break Kerala’s resistance further. Jaymeet Patel nearly got Azharuddeen on 47, drawing an edge, but Manan Hingrajia at first slip dropped a crucial catch.