UP’s season ends with humiliating HP loss
LUCKNOW: Once again, former champions Uttar Pradesh ended their Ranji Trophy season on a dismal note with Ankit Rajpootled side facing a humiliating 386run loss to Himachal Pradesh, at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Saturday. Last season too, UP’s campaign in Ranji Trophy had ended at this venue after losing to Saurashtra in the quarterfinals.
Needing 458 runs with six wickets in hand on the last day of the four-day Elite Group B encounter on Saturday, Uttar Pradesh’s second innings lasted only for three minutes after the first drinks break with last man Aaquib Khan (4) failed to put his bat down on a quick in-cutter from right-arm pacer Vaibhav Arora only to be trapped lbw.
Getting out on 148 in 40.4 in the second innings wasn’t the big issue as it happens in the gentlemen’s game, but the way Uttar Pradesh batsmen surrendered before a disciplined bowling attack was something unusual and it needs to be scrutinised by the UP Cricket Association bosses, whose decision to hire an ‘outsider’ like former India allrounder Sunil Joshi as coach couldn’t make a difference.
On Saturday, all the six UP batsmen found the going tough against Himachal pacers, who showed a great control over the length of their deliveries.
Whereas slow left-arm orthodox bowler Mayank Dagar edged Aryan Juyal (56, 109b, 9x4) for a regulation catch to stumper Ankush Bains, putting his delivery on the line of the off-stump, both pacers Vaibhav Arora and Rishi Dhawan also stuck to the line of stumps, giving almost no chance to UP batsmen to play shots.
Left-hander Rinku Singh (27, 37b, 2x4, 1x6) tried to play one on the back-foot only to see his offstump flying in the air off Dhawan as the ball swung-in quickly, before Saurabh Kumar and skipper Ankit Rajpoot departing on consecutive deliveries in the same over of Dhawan without opening accounts almost in similar fashions.
And before accounting for Aaquib, young Arora completed his career’s second five-wicket haul in his eighth first class match, shattering the middle stump of Yash Dayal (9). Keeperbatsman Upendra Yadav remained unbeaten on 12.
In fact, Uttar Pradesh never looked in contention of winning the game on all four days. Even after skittling out Himachal for 220 in the first innings, they came with a pathetic show of batting, getting out for a paltry 119. A comeback from there was very much possible, but their bowling remained toothless.
Brief scores: HP 220 & 433/7 decl bt UP 119 & 148 all out in 40.4 ovs (A Juyal 56; V Arora 5/41, R Dhawan 3/46 by 386 runs.