KL Rahul, coming off a steep learning experience with the Indian team in Australia, cashed in on his rich vein of form by composing a typically stylish 150* to propel Karnataka to 326 for 4 at stumps on day one in their eighth-round Group A encounter against Uttar Pradesh. Rahul shared an unbeaten 178-run fifth-wicket stand with the free-stroking Shreyas Gopal who struck a solid 88, his fifth 50-plus score of the season. In the process, Shreyas overtook star batsman Robin Uthappa as Karnataka's leading run-scorer in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy tournament.

Rahul's return to domestic cricket following his international sojourn has boosted a misfiring Karnataka whose batting frailties in the season was once again briefly exposed in the first hour of the post-lunch session by a resurgent UP captain Praveen Kumar, whose spell of 2 for 10 in seven overs appeared to vindicate his decision to insert the seven-time champions in on a flat-looking Bangalore surface.

Shreyas Gopal, promoted above vice-captain CM Gautam in the batting order, joined Rahul at a precarious 148 for 4 and immediately brought much-needed solidity to the proceedings. The duo milked the UP attack, hitting boundaries at will to put the hosts firmly in control of the game. Barring Praveen Kumar who bowled long spells, UP's bowling attack remained largely listless. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ali Murtaza - the latter playing in place of regular captain Piyush Chawla - found nothing of interest from the Chinnaswamy Stadium wicket and were unable to keep one end tied up.

UP's sloppy catching didn't help either. Ali Murtaza found Shreyas Gopal's outside edge with one that turned ever so slightly, only to see Umang Sharma fluff the chance at first slip when the batsman was on 16. Then, in the evening, as the UP fielders dragged their tired bodies around the field, Murtaza himself dropped a KL Rahul skier. Two opportunities hugely significant, not just in this match, but in UP's relegation battle.

Medium-pacers Amit Mishra and Imtiaz Ahmed, who didn't swing the ball much, were guilty of not making the batsmen play enough. The Karnataka batsmen left most deliveries outside the off stump especially against the new ball, a strategy that consumed opening batsman R Samarth when he fatally shouldered arms to an incutter from Praveen.

Uthappa, coming off a pair in the previous round, scored a brisk 41 before throwing his wicket away with an ungainly charge against Murtaza at the stroke of lunch. Praveen fought back with a probing spell after lunch in which he dismissed Manish Pandey and Karun Nair in one over before the Rahul-Shreyas stand snuffed the wind out of the UP attack in the afternoon.

Brief scores: Karnataka 326/4 (KL Rahul 150*, S Gopal 88*; Praveen Kumar 3/34) v Uttar Pradesh.