Ranchi: Akshay Chandran's superb 150 helped Kerala post a mammoth 475 and debutant spinner Vaisakh Chandran scalped a couple to reduce Jharkhand to 87/3 at stumps on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match here on Wednesday.
Resuming on 276/6, the overnight pair of Akshay and Sijomon Joseph put on a further 117 runs. The two left-handers were involved in a 171-run stand for the seventh wicket.
Sijomon was dismissed by left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem for 83. The Kerala vice-captain hit 10 fours and three sixes in his 153-ball knock.
Akshay, who scored his second first-class hundred, was the last man to be dismissed. The 29-year-old's 268-ball knock contained 13 fours and a six.
Nadeem was the most successful Jharkhand bowler with figures of 5/167.
Basil Thampi provided Kerala the early breakthrough by dismissing Utkarsh Singh for three. Offie Vaiskah sent back Kumar Suraj (28) and Mohammed Nazim (24) as the home side slipped to 56/3.
Captain Virat Singh (18 batting) and Saurabh Tiwary (13 batting) took the hosts to stumps without further damage.
Brief scores: Kerala 475 (Akshay Chandran 150, Sijomon Joseph 83, Rohan Prem 79, Sanju Samson 72, Rohan Kunnummal 50; Shahbaz Nadeem 5/167) vs Jharkhand 87/3 in 33 overs (Vaisakh Chandran 2/24).
