From winning the toss on a green Mohali wicket to reducing Orissa to 56 for 5, Punjab did everything right. But their plans fell apart in the second half of Day I with Orissa reasserting themselves in their Ranji Trophy Super League match.
Debutant left-arm pacer Barinder Singh started Orissa's slide by cleaning up Bikash Pati (5) with the team's total on seven.
A partnership got going between Subhrajit Sahoo and Lagnajit Samal, who added 49 for the sixth wicket, before Harbhajan Singh opened his season's account by getting Samal caught at first slip for 19.
Sahoo found support from lower-order batsman Deepak Behera before he fell for 56 to become Sharma’s third victim, the second being Natraj Behera. Barinder took 3/62 while Sandeep returned a figure of 4/52.