Pathan was pleased with the way things have gone for him and his team. “This is how I play. If the ball is there to be hit, I don’t like defending it. I have to continue from here since I know my knock will be crucial for our chances,” he said.

However, Pathan swashbuckling innings overshadowed Solanki’s contribution. His patient 96 off 229 balls came at the time when his team lost three quick wickets. Connor Williams (0), Satyajit Parab (11) and Azhar Bilakhia (17) were all in the hut with the scoreboard showing just 56 runs. Baroda coach Paras Mhambrey wore a smile on his face after the game. “Whenever Pathan play well, we do well,” he said. The coming two days will decide that.

Brief scores: Baroda: 199 & 281/6 (R Solanki 96, S Gaekwad 46, Y Pathan 86 no; P Awana 3/58, R Bhatia 2/20) vs Delhi: 271