Senior opener KL Rahul (141) and skipper Devdutt Padikkal (148 batting) slammed big hundreds and powered Karnataka to a commanding 355 for two on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Uttarakhand here on Sunday. Uttarakhand captain Kunal Chandela won the toss and opted to field first, but his decision did not yield the desired result for his team as Karnataka saw two of their top batters torment the opposition bowlers with their high-quality batting.

Coming off his brilliant century in Karnataka's victory over Mumbai in the quarterfinals, Rahul, India's Test and ODI specialist, constructed another magnificent innings that was built on the back of a fine mix of aggression and caution. Rahul made 141 off 211 balls, decorating his 25th First-Class century with 11 fours and five sixes, the number of maximums clearly indicating that he was open to take the aerial route when presented with an opportunity. Padikkal was batting on 148 off 236 balls when the stumps were drawn on the first day's play at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.