Despite a five-wicket haul by Kerala left-arm spinner Mani Suresh Kumar, Andhra Pradesh took the first-innings lead in their Ranji Trophy league match at Cochin on Sunday.

Y Venugopal Rao, coming in at the fall of captain MSK Prasad, added 70 runs for the fourth wicket with Illa Srinivas (22). No partnership lasted quite so long after the fall of Srinivas with the score on 133, although Venugopal Rao plodded along slowly making 76 off 220 balls.

Once Venugopal Rao fell with the score on 180, Kerala must have sniffed a chance of bowling their rivals out. The lower order, however, defied the bowlers, with Hemal Watekar (24) and Khatib Sahabuddin (27*) taking their side past the 200-run mark.

At stumps, Andhra Pradesh were 234/8, with Sahabuddin and Mohammed Faiq (6*) at the crease.

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