Surat: Gujarat closed in on securing an innings lead by reducing Madhya Pradesh to 187 for 7 on the second day of their Group B Ranji Trophy cricket match here yesterday.

Starting the day at 252 for 6, Gujarat rode on a handy half-century from Axar Patel (55) and a 38 from Rush Kalaria. Jalaj Saxena took three wickets while Puneet Datey and Ankit Kushwah chipped in with two each, but Gujarat still managed a healthy first-innings total of 311.