Punjab were struggling to avoid a first innings deficit against Orissa after being reduced to 207 for eight on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group 'B' match at PCA stadium in Mohali on Tuesday.

Replying to the visitors 323, Punjab were trailing by 116 runs with just two wickets in hand.

The wrecker-in-chief was medium pacer Basant Mohanty, who claimed four wickets.

Resuming at the overnight total of 273 for eight, Orissa frustrated the home team adding valuable runs to the total. Mohanty (18 not out) and Preetamit Das (27) added 45 runs for the last wicket after SV Sehgal (5) departed early when the team score was 278.

Mohanty, playing only his second Ranji match, got the breakthrough when opener Sunny Sohal (22) nicked one to wicketkeeper Haladhar Das when the team score was 46.

Off the very next ball, Mohanty inflicted further damage having Ravi Inder out in similar fashion while opener Karan Goel (20) was run out. Uday Kaul found himself trapped lbw by Debasis Mohanty.

Scorecard:

Orissa (1st innings):
B Pati b G Singh 13
SS Das b S Kaul 19
N Behera lbw b G Singh 13
RR Parida c Sohal b Goel 52
RR Das c U Kaul b S Kaul 0
P Jayachandra b S Kaul 36
H Das c U Kaul b S Kaul 100
D Mohanty lbw b G Singh 12
S Sehgal c Sohal b S Kaul 5
B Mohanty not out 18
P Das c U Kaul b G Singh 27
Extras: (b 10, lb 6, nb 12) 28
Total: (all out in 93 overs) 323

Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-48, 3-50, 4-50, 5-121, 6-189, 7-267, 8-273, 9-278, 10-323

Bowling: G Singh 22-3-65-4, VRV Singh 15-1-68-0, S Kaul 23-6-79-5, R Inder 5-1-11-0, A Kakkar 13-2-40-0, C Singh 12-2-28-0, K Goel 3-0-16-1

Punjab (1st innings):
S Sohal c H Das b B Mohanty 22
K Goel run out (Pati) 20
R Inder c H Das b B Mohanty 0
P Dharmani lbw b D Mohanty 22
U Kaul lbw b D Mohanty 10
R Ricky b P Das 21
A Kakkar c Parida b B Mohanty 53
G Singh not out 20
C Singh c Behera b B Mohanty 0
S Kaul not out 3
Extras: (b 4, lb 8, w 2, nb 22) 36
Total: (8 wickets in 71 overs) 207

Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-46, 3-59, 4-84, 5-91, 6-146, 7-188, 8-193

Bowling: D Mohanty 22-3-63-2, P Das 16-6-40-1, B Mohanty 15-4-42-4, P Jayachandra 15-6-35-0, S Sehgal 3-0-15-0