UP on verge of defeat in Nayudu Trophy
LUCKNOW: Former champions Uttar Pradesh are on the verge of losing their first game this season in Under-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy as they would be needing 333 runs to win with eight wickets in hand against hosts Hyderabad when the last day of the fourday begins on Tuesday.
Having collected 10 points from four matches so far this season, Uttar Pradesh 13/2 in their second innings at close of stumps in their Plate Group B encounter on the penultimate day at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Hyderabad on Monday.
Hyderabad while piling up 579 have already taken 345-run first innings lead against Uttar Pradesh, which could make 234. On Monday, UP had a shaky start in their second essay, losing opener Madhav Kaushik (1) and Shanu Saini (3) in quick succession. Hardeep Singh (5) and Himanshu Asnora (4) were at the crease when stumps were drawn.
Earlier resuming at the overnight score of 269/6, Hyderabad batsmen made merry of UP bowlers, went on adding 310-run to their total. Though PS Chaitanya Reddy could add just one run to his overnight score of 90 before being caught by Sahim Hasan off Vineet Panwar, energetic P Rohith Reddy (181*, 300b, 13x4, 9x6) and Tanay Thyagarajan (109, 141b, 12x4) went on hammering sparkling centuries, thus helping side scoring beyond 500 runs. Vineet Panwar remained the most successful bowler for UP, bagging 3/90, whereas Harshvardhan, Trishal Vijay Trivedi and Shanu Saini shared six wickets between them.
FINE BOWLING
Young spinner Akshay Sain (7/90) bowled a deadly spell as Uttar Pradesh are looking for an exciting first innings lead against hosts Vidarbha on the second day of their four-day Group D Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy match, at the VCA ground in Nagpur on Monday.
Chasing UP’s first innings total of 286, Vidarbha were 272/8 at close of stumps on Monday. N Chavan (57, 139, 5x4, 2x6) and Gulam Ali (5) were at the crease when the day’s proceedings came to a halt in the evening. They still need 15 runs to take first innings lead. Vidarbha were 7/0 in two overs last night when the game ended, and the two openers Avesh Shaikh (76, 169b, 10x4, 1x6) and A Kumar (36, 64b, 6x4) stitched together 70-run for the first wicket. But once Akshay came to bowling, wickets started falling like nine pins from both the ends. Y Rathod (78, 115b, 12x4) remained the only one to show some resistance then. Besides Akshay, Kritagya Singh took one wicket.
LAST CHANCE
It would be the last chance for Suresh Raina and Co to finish the Ranji Trophy with some pride, if they take first innings lead or beat table topper and former champions Karnataka in their last league match of the season, at the Green Park stadium in Kanpur.
The four-day tie, which starts on Friday, is likely to see Raina giving a chance to bench strength, including offie Deependra Pandey, who is yet to make his Ranji Trophy debute for the last many years.
After facing successive defeats in the earlier games, including a split of points with Hyderabad due to rain, , UP could manage first innings lead against Assam at Guwahati and collected three points.