MP batsmen almost seal UP’s fate in Cooch Behar Trophy

LUCKNOW: It seems all-over for hosts and former champions Uttar Pradesh in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy semi-final at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur as Madhya Pradesh took a solid 61-run first innings lead on the penultimate day of the four-day encounter on Sunday.

Chasing Uttar Pradesh’s first innings total of 395, Madhya Pradesh were 456/8 in 144 at close of stumps on Monday. Still they have two wickets in hand and the chance of an outright win for either side looks almost uncertain.

In case of no results in the game, Madhya Pradesh would be the clear winner on the basis of the first innings lead.

On Sunday, it turned out to be the case of an average bowling by Uttar Pradesh bowlers, and some superlative batting by the Madhya Pradesh middle-order, especially Yash Dubey and Rishabh Chouhan, who went on hammering centuries on a perfect batting strip.

Resuming at the overnight score of 139/4, Madhya Pradesh batsmen Mohd Saad Baggad and Yash Dubey went on stitching together 79-run for the fifthwicket.

The partnership not only allowed MP batsmen to let their feet firm in the middle, but also helped the side overpower the UP bowlers.

Even after losing the wicket of Baggad (14, 93b), Madhya Pradesh batsmen didn’t feel any pressure and continued hammering Uttar Pradesh bowlers all around the ground.

Yash Dubey (18 overnight) scored 285-ball 136, which contained 14 hits to the fence, whereas Rishabh made 141 in 162 balls with the help of 13 fours and five sixes.

Their 159-run sixth-wicket partnership proved to be the match’s turning point in their favour.

Though Yash was clean bowled by Kritagya Kumar Singh at the team’s total of 367 in the 124th over, Rishabh helped the side cross over UP’s total before being caught by Shivam Bansal off Kunal Yadav in the 139th over. Rahul Chandrol (34, 70b, 5x4) and Shivam Kumar Dwivedi (0) were at the crease at draw of stumps on Sunday evening.

A desperate-looking UP skipper Aryan Sharma used almost as many as seven bowlers, including himself to break the concentration of both Yash and Rishabh and later Rahul, but to no avail as MP tactfully took control over the game’s proceedings. Kritagya Singh and Zeeshan Ansari shared six wickets between them, whereas Kunal Yadav took two wickets. Now, UP can only hope for a miracle when the last day’s play begins on Monday. BRIEF SCORES

UP (1st innings): 395. Madhya Pradesh (1st innings): 456/8 (D Barnale 51, Y Dubey 136, R Chouhan 141, R Chandrol batting 34, K Yadav 2/40, KK Singh 3/124, Z Ansari 3/160).