Coach Lalchand Rajput pleased with ROI's bright start

Rest of India coach Lalchand Rajput was impressed with his team's showing on the opening day of the Irani Cup match against the formidable Karnataka side and was lavish in his praise for Varun Aaron, who registered his career-best figures to restrict Karnataka to a below-par total.

Deciding to bowl first on a greenish track, the Manoj Tiwary-led side had Aaron to thank as his figures of 6/63 helped bowl the Ranji champions out for 244. Rajput was all smiles in the press conference at the end of the day's play and praised Aaron for clinically running through the formidable batting order, on a pitch which he felt did not have much assistance.

"We did extremely well because Karnataka are the domestic champions, and are on a high. They have been doing very well as a team. I am really happy with the way Aaron bowled today, and got them all out for 244 on this wicket. That is a great performance, because at one stage they were214 for 4 (which became 220 for 5), and to have them bowled out for 244 is a great thing."

While they did well to start the game on a bright note, Rest of India will not relax as there still a long way to go in this game. The visiting side are still 224 runs behind with nine wickets in hand and Rajput hoped for a good batting show from ROI in the coming days to take the game completely away from Karnataka.

"It's a five-day game. It's just the first day (that is) over. Longer version of the game fluctuates a lot. That is why we take it one day at a time, and hopefully we will bat well tomorrow," Rajput said.

Three Karnataka batsmen registered scores over fifty, but none of them managed to carry on and make a big contribution. Mayank Agarwal, who top-scored with a knock of 68, rued the fact that they could not capitalise on a good start and an easing pitch.

"I think it was really disappointing that all of us got starts but we threw it away. We played well initially to be 100/2 and then we threw it away when we should have gone on and (made a big score) to put Karnataka in a good position," he said.

"It [the wicket] did ease off a bit. Morning, there was a bit of moisture and it [the ball] was moving. And, it did get easier to bat.That's where we faulted. When it got better to bat, we should have capitalised," Agarwal added.