After four-year jinx, UP virtually in knock-out
Rinku, Upendra hammer centuries to let the side dominate against Assam
LUCKNOW: Sparkling centuries by Rinku Singh and Upendra Yadav on Wednesday helped hosts and former championship Uttar Pradesh virtually make it to the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals after a gap of four years by managing a huge 444-run first innings lead against Assam at Kanpur.
Uttar Pradesh, which had last played in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals in 2013-14, are in a strong position in the game. Even Assam, which ended the day at 102/0 in their second innings on Wednesday, can’t stop the home side from bagging three points on the basis of the first innings lead.
The other possibility for Uttar Pradesh is to win the match on the final day of their four-day Elite Group C encounter on Thursday, if their bowlers manage to take all 10 Assam wickets at the Green Park Stadium.
The situation, however, has also shattered Jharkhand’s slightest hope of making it to the quarterfinals as the second team from pool after Rajasthan even if they score full seven points, including a bonus in the ongoing match against hosts Jammu and Kashmir at Jammu.
On Wednesday, both Rinku and Upendra started from where they had stopped on Tuesday after UP resumed from the overnight score of 377/5. The duo struck the ball nicely around the ropes and kept teasing the Assam bowlers who tried their best to break the partnership.
Rinku, who scored his fourth first class century in as many as 18 matches so far, hit 11 fours and a six in his 214-ball 149 before being trapped leg before wicket by Ranjeet Mali, whereas Upendra’s 138 in 260 balls, which contained 13 boundaries, remained his second in the 14th first class match.
The two stitched together 205 runs for the sixth wicket before
Upendra added 107-run for the seventh wicket with Saurabh Kumar, who struck a breezy 59 of 56 balls with the help of six glorious boundaries.
Imtiaz Ahmed’s unbeaten 27, which included two fours and a six, helped UP post 619 in 177.4 overs. Ranjit Mali remained the most successful bowler for Assam, bagging 4/127, whereas Jitumoni Kalita and Gukul
Sharma had two wickets each.
With no chance of a return in the game, Assam openers Rishav Das (37, 94b, 6x4) and Rahul Hazarika (56, 77b, 10x4) batted well to remain unbeaten till the penultimate day’s play on Wednesday.
Uttar Pradesh’s entry to quarterfinals will officially be confirmed only on Thursday, when the four-day match comes to an end.