After Baroda elected to bat, the openers saw off the initial burst from R. Sonu Yadav and debutant G. Govinth. It forced TN skipper R. Sai Kishore to introduce spin in the 10th over. But once the pitch eased after the early-morning moisture had dried, Rathva and Sukirt were able to keep the scoreboard ticking while being circumspect. Rathva employed the sweep shot effectively and brought up his half-century with panache, pulling Sonu Yadav through midwicket. Sukirt, who was content with playing second fiddle to Rathva, then opened up, stroking crisply through covers against the tweakers.