Karnataka gained control of their Ranji Trophy Super League match against Tamil Nadu after asking the visitors to follow-on on the third day of the four-day encounter at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Thursday.

At stumps, Tamil Nadu were 130 for 3, still 89 runs behind, after being bowled out for 207 runs in their first innings.

The Karnataka spinners struck it rich to trouble the Tamil Nadu batsmen. The visitors added 88 runs to their overnight score of 119 for 4 as their innings folded shortly after lunch.

Seasoned left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi emerged the most successful bowler for Karnataka by picking up four wickets.

After opener M. Vijay was trapped before the stumps at his overnight score of 48, S. Sharath (18 off 77 balls), the lone Tamil Nadu batsman to play 100 Ranji matches, shared a 50-run partnership with R. Ashwin (46) for the sixth wicket.

But that was not enough for Tamil Nadu to avoid the follow-on as Appanna struck twice in one over, dismissing Yo Mahesh leg before and Ganapathy caught at long off by R. Vinay Kumar.

Tamil Nadu's openers failed to give a good start and went back to pavilion with just 22 runs on the board.

A 90-run stand between R. Prasanna (59) and skipper S Badrinath (batting 43) came as a big relief.

Tamil Nadu would have been in deeper trouble if Thilak Naidu had not missed a stumping chance off Appanna when Badrinath was on 32.

Scorecard

Karnataka (1st Innings): 426

Tamil Nadu (1st Innings): (Overnight 119 for 4 wickets)
S.Anirudha run out 0
M. Vijay lbw Sunil Joshi 48
R. Prasanna c B Rowland b K.P. Appanna 39
S. Badrinath lbw b Sunil Joshi 13
Hemang K. Badani lbw b C. Raghu 14
S.Sharath b Sunil Joshi 18
R. Ashwin c D Chougule b Sunil Joshi 46
V. Yo Mahesh lbw b K.P. Appanna 1
C. Ganapathy c R V Kumar b K.P. Appanna 0
K. Varun Kumar (not out) 11
C. Suresh b C. Raghu 10
Extras: (b-1, nb-6) 7
Total: (all out, 98 overs) 207

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-78, 3-95, 4-119, 5-119, 6-169, 7-177, 8-177, 9-187.

Bowling: R. Vinay Kumar 12-5-26-0, B. Akhil 5-2-19-0, Sunil B. Joshi 36-20-53-4, Gaurav Dhiman 3-0-15-0, K.P.Appanna 24-8-69-3, C. Raghu 18-0-24-2.

Tamil Nadu (2nd Innings):
S. Anirudha lbw b R. Vinay Kumar 4
M. Vijay c B. Akhil b C. Raghu 10
R. Prasanna lbw b K.P. Appanna 59
S. Badrinath batting 43
Hemang K. Badani batting 6
Extras: (b-7, nb-1) 8
Total: (for 3 wickets, 49 overs) 130

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-22, 3-112.

Bowling: R. Vinay Kumar 6-2-14-1, B. Akhil 2-0-5-0, C. Raghu 15-4-31-1, Sunil B. Joshi 10-1-44-0, K.P. Appanna 16-5-29-1.