Cricket

Abhimanyu Easwaran's remarkable form continued as he notched up his 27th First-class century, guiding Bengal to a draw against Uttar Pradesh in their Ranji Trophy encounter. Resuming the final day at 78, Easwaran reached his hundred off 140 balls, his fifth in the last nine innings. Bengal declared their second innings at 254/3, setting U.P. a challenging target of 273.Despite a testing pitch and early setbacks, Priyam Garg's gritty century ensured the hosts held on for a draw. Bengal earned three points for their first-innings lead, while Uttar Pradesh settled for one.U.P.'s pacers struggled to generate movement from the pitch, allowing Easwaran and Sudip Chatterjee to extend their opening partnership. Easwaran displayed composure, surviving a close lbw shout before reaching his century. Chatterjee fell for 93, but Easwaran accelerated, scoring at nearly a run-a-ball to stretch Bengal's lead.Bengal declared just before lunch, hoping to force a result. However, U.P.'s resistance proved stubborn. Mukesh Kumar trapped Aryan Juyal lbw early, but Garg took charge, guiding U.P. out of trouble. Despite multiple blows, Garg displayed resilience, fending off Mukesh Kumar's bouncers and keeping the scoreboard ticking.As wickets fell around him, Garg remained U.P.'s stronghold, bringing up his hundred off 142 balls. His battling innings ensured that U.P. finished at 162 for six, forcing Bengal to settle for a draw.

Bengal will face Bihar in a Ranji Trophy Group-C match at the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) Academy ground in Kolkata, starting Friday. The hosts will be keen to secure full points after a positive start against Uttar Pradesh in their opening match.Despite the absence of pacer Akash Deep due to national duty, Bengal managed a narrow 19-run lead and picked up three crucial points in Lucknow. The team's intent was a big takeaway from the match, and they will look to build on that momentum.Although the Eden Gardens is unavailable for Bengal's next two outings, the Anustup Majumdar-led side will try to make the most of the home conditions at the CAB Academy ground. Centurion openers Sudip Chatterjee and Abhimanyu Easwaran, along with Sudip Gharami, provided assurance with their performances in the previous match.Experienced hands Majumdar, Writtick Chatterjee, and wicketkeeper-batter Abishek Porel will be eager to contribute with the bat. Wriddhiman Saha is doubtful due to a stiff back.Mukesh Kumar, who captured six wickets in the opening match, led the way for Bengal's pace attack. Mohammed Kaif provided good support, but Mukesh will take rest to manage his workload.Shahbaz Ahmed, who scored 44 runs and took five wickets in the previous match, underlined his worth with both bat and ball and might play a key role again.Bihar, on the other hand, began its Ranji campaign on a disastrous note, suffering an innings defeat against Haryana. The only positive for them was the success of their spin duo, leg-break bowler Himanshu Singh (four wickets) and left-arm spinner Sachin Kumar (three wickets).While Bihar will face an uphill task, the hosts, keeping in mind Thursday's shower, will try to wrap up the match quickly. "There is a bit of uncertainty due to the rain. But we will give our best," said Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla.

Bengal's openers, Sudip Chatterjee and Abhimanyu Easwaran, put the team in a commanding position in their Ranji Trophy Group A clash against Uttar Pradesh. After Bengal gained a 19-run first-innings lead, Chatterjee and Easwaran capitalized on the momentum, guiding their side to a comfortable 141 for no loss at the end of Day 3.Chatterjee, who scored a gritty 116 in Bengal's first innings, continued his impressive form with an unbeaten 59. The left-hander displayed resilience and technique, particularly under fading light conditions. Easwaran, who had struggled in the first innings, returned to form with an unbeaten 78. The stylish right-hander, who has been in contention for a reserve opener spot for India's tour of Australia, played with patience and composure, hitting seven well-timed boundaries.Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh resumed their innings at 206/3, looking to overhaul Bengal's total of 311. However, Bengal's India pacer Mukesh Kumar bowled a fiery spell, triggering a collapse as UP lost seven wickets for just 94. Kumar finished with figures of 4/43, while Shahbaz Ahmed claimed 4/96.The only resistance for UP came from Siddarth Yadav, who played a fighting knock of 73 off 127 balls. Yadav launched a counter-attack, smashing three sixes and six boundaries to help UP cross the 250-mark and reduce Bengal's first-innings lead.With Bengal holding a 160-run lead and a full day's play remaining, they are in a strong position to secure a victory. The match will resume on Monday, with Bengal looking to extend their lead and put pressure on Uttar Pradesh.

Young Uttar Pradesh skipper Aryan Juyal led a spirited fightback with an unbeaten 90, guiding his team to 198 for three in response to Bengal's 311 on Day 2 of their Ranji Trophy Group C clash.The 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who has represented India Under-19 and was part of the Mumbai Indians setup, showcased his technical proficiency throughout the innings. He faced 195 deliveries and struck eight boundaries, anchoring the Uttar Pradesh innings as they trailed by 113 runs.Juyal formed a solid 83-run opening partnership with Swastik Chikara (41), giving Uttar Pradesh a strong start. Known for his preference to play on the offside, Juyal was circumspect yet controlled, playing with maturity on both sides of the wicket. He displayed excellent footwork to counter Bengal's spin duo of Shahbaz Ahmed and off-spinner Writtick Chatterjee.Bengal struck back, with left-arm spinner Shahbaz breaking the stand by trapping Chikara lbw. Mohammed Kaif, the younger brother of India pacer Mohammed Shami, then had Priyam Garg (2) trapped lbw, reducing UP to 86/2 as they lost two wickets for just three runs.However, Juyal found able support from Kolkata Knight Riders vice-captain Nitish Rana, who played an attacking knock of 32 off 59 balls, studded with three boundaries. The pair added 69 crucial runs for the third wicket before Shahbaz returned to dismiss Rana lbw early in his second spell.Siddarth Yadav (20 batting) then stood firm alongside his skipper, as the duo saw out the remainder of the day's play before bad light stopped play after 64 overs.Shahbaz was the most threatening bowler, shouldering the bulk of the bowling workload. He returned figures of 2/47 from 21 overs, maintaining pressure on the Uttar Pradesh batters. Kaif also impressed, claiming 1/23 from his 12 overs. Writtick, despite bowling 12 overs, remained wicketless and conceded 54 runs.Earlier in the day, Bengal resumed their innings at 269/7, with Shahbaz contributing a vital 44 from 80 balls to help Bengal cross the 300-run mark. Rising left-arm pacer Yash Dayal, who was part of the Test squad against Bangladesh, returned to action after a niggle, was exceptional with the ball, finishing with figures of 4/27. Debutant off-spinner Vipraj Nigam also impressed, claiming 4/81 as Bengal innings lasted 14.2 overs on day two to be bowled out in 96.2 overs.