Cricket

Debutants Krishnan Shrijith and Yashovardhan Parantap played pivotal roles as Karnataka tightened their grip on Uttar Pradesh in their Ranji Trophy encounter at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.Shrijith, resuming on 68, played a composed innings, reaching his maiden century off 125 balls. He was ably supported by Parantap, who contributed a gritty 118-ball half-century. The duo's partnership of 61 for the seventh wicket helped Karnataka extend their first-innings lead to 186 runs.Uttar Pradesh's bowlers struggled to contain the lower order, with three defiant partnerships contributing to Karnataka's total. Skipper Aryan Juyal and Madhav Kaushik led the hosts' fightback in the second innings, but Karnataka's bowlers kept them in check.Shrijith's century was a testament to his patience and determination. He weathered a barrage of short balls from Shivam Mavi and Aaqib Khan, and played with a solid technique. Parantap, on the other hand, showed maturity beyond his years, exhibiting a precocious grit that belied his 20 years.The match is poised for an exciting finish, with Uttar Pradesh needing to bat aggressively to chase down a challenging target. Karnataka, on the other hand, will be looking to capitalize on their advantage and secure a crucial victory.

Karnataka Dominates Uttar Pradesh on Day 1 of Ranji Trophy ClashLucknow, November 13: Karnataka bowlers, led by V. Koushik, put on a stellar performance to dismantle Uttar Pradesh (UP) for a mere 89 runs on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group-C encounter at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. The bowlers' brilliance set the stage for Karnataka's batters to take a 38-run first-innings lead.The morning haze enveloped the venue, creating a challenging environment for UP's batters. Koushik and Vidyadhar Patil exploited the conditions to reduce the hosts to five for three within the first five overs. Vidyadhar drew first blood, dismissing Abhishek Goswami, while Koushik induced Madhav Kaushik's outside edge and castled skipper Aryan Juyal in consecutive deliveries.Debutant Rituraj Sharma and Aaditya Sharma briefly resisted the pacers, but the latter was strangled down leg. Debutant fast bowler Yashovardhan Parantap joined the party, dismissing Rituraj with an angled delivery. Koushik completed his fifer with Sameer Rizvi edging behind, while the lower-order offered little resistance.Karnataka's batting faced a similar fate initially, with Nikin Jose and R. Smaran falling cheaply to Aaqib Khan. However, debutant Krishnan Shrijith played a composed knock under pressure, adding 48 runs with skipper Mayank Agarwal. Shrijith held firm amidst some poor shot-making, including Manish Pandey's tame dismissal.At the close of play, Karnataka had reached 127 for five, with Shrijith unbeaten on 68. The visitors will look to extend their lead on Day 2 and put pressure on UP.

Karnataka, with nine points from four games, will face Uttar Pradesh in a crucial Ranji Trophy Group-C encounter at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Karnataka's campaign has been marred by rain, resulting in two weather-curtailed matches and a point each. Their only bright spot was an eight-wicket win against Bihar.Uttar Pradesh, on the other hand, is winless and languishes in sixth place. They suffered a heavy defeat against Kerala, crumbling for 162 and 116 in an innings-defeat. Karnataka's spin attack, led by Shreyas Gopal, will hope to exploit Uttar Pradesh's vulnerability to spin.Karnataka skipper Mayank Agarwal will need to find form, having averaged only 27.2 this season. However, they will be relieved to have Nikin Jose back in the squad after he sustained an injury while fielding against Bengal.Uttar Pradesh's batting has relied heavily on openers Madhav Kaushiv and Aryan Juyal, while their middle-order has not delivered consistently. International duties have depleted the pace attacks of both sides, but Karnataka has coped better, with V. Koushik emerging as a reliable spearhead.

Heavy rain has hindered Kerala's pursuit of an outright victory and boosted Uttar Pradesh's chances of salvaging a draw in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C encounter at the KCA-St. Xavier's College ground.After conceding a massive 233-run first innings lead, Uttar Pradesh was 66 for two when a drizzle forced the players off the field half an hour into the post-lunch session. The drizzle intensified into a heavy downpour with thunder and lightning, leading the umpires to call off play at 2.30 p.m.UP lost its captain, Aryan Juyal, and Priyam Garg in the second innings, and was in a spot of bother before the skies opened up.Earlier, Mohammed Azharuddeen attacked the Uttar Pradesh bowling, striking four crisp boundaries as Kerala sought quick runs. Salman Nizar (93, 202b, 9x4, 3x6) struggled with his timing and was also affected by a hamstring injury, forcing him to leave the field for treatment. Basil Thampi's stay was brief, lasting only two deliveries before Saurabh Kumar trapped him in front.Aaqib Khan's delivery struck K.M. Asif on the helmet, forcing him to retire hurt. Salman returned to continue his innings. He nudged Saurabh Kumar to fine leg and ran three, which aggravated his injury.Azharuddeen, who had been batting fluently up to that point, lost his composure and top-edged a hook off Aaqib, which was well caught by Aryan behind the stumps.Salman smashed Saurabh for a maximum over long leg but was dismissed while attempting to play another big shot off Aaqib Khan in the following over.

Kerala's gritty lower-order batting, led by captain Sachin Baby and Salman Nizar, put them in a commanding position against Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match at the KCA-St. Xavier's College ground.After resuming on 105 for four, Kerala lost Baba Aparajith and Aditya Sarwate cheaply to Uttar Pradesh's left-arm spinner Shivam Sharma. However, Baby and Akshay Chandran steadied the innings with a 63-run stand for the fifth wicket.When Chandran fell, Baby found an ideal ally in Nizar, who curbed his natural flamboyance to play a patient innings. The duo navigated the challenging track, using the depth of the crease and stepping out to loft the ball over the infield.Baby and Nizar's 99-run partnership for the sixth wicket put Kerala in control. Baby eventually fell for 83, trapped in front by Shivam Mavi, but Jalaj Saxena continued the resistance with a fluent 35.Nizar remained unbeaten on 74, hitting sixes and fours off leg spinner Piyush Chawla to signal Kerala's intent for the third day. Mohammed Azharuddeen also contributed with an unbeaten 11, ensuring Kerala reached 340 for seven at stumps.Uttar Pradesh's bowlers toiled hard, with Shivam Sharma taking two wickets and Saurabh Kumar, Aaqib Khan, and Chawla claiming one each. However, Kerala's lower-order resilience proved too much to overcome.

The Ranji Trophy Elite Group C encounter between Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, scheduled to commence on Wednesday at the St. Xavier's College ground, faces the threat of rain. Heavy downpours have already forced the cancellation of the visitor's nets session on Monday. While both teams managed to squeeze in some practice on Tuesday morning, the evening's heavy rainfall has cast a shadow of doubt over the match's timely start.Rain has been a persistent obstacle in Kerala's recent matches. Nearly five sessions of play were washed out in their encounter with Punjab at the same venue three weeks ago. Despite their comprehensive victory over Punjab, rain affected Kerala's away matches against Karnataka and Bengal, resulting in draws.Kerala's captain, Sachin Baby, has indicated that the team will rely on its strength at home, particularly its spin troika of Jalaj Saxena, Aditya Sarwate, and B. Aparajith. The lower-order fightback led by Saxena and Salman Nizar in the drawn encounter against Bengal has been a positive sign for Kerala. With Mohammed Azharuddeen finding form, the team will hope for contributions from its other top-order batters against Uttar Pradesh.Uttar Pradesh, on the other hand, showed signs of hitting their stride against Punjab. Nitish Rana and Madhav Kaushik scored runs, while key bowlers like Shivam Mavi had a good outing with the ball. However, the visitor will miss Rinku Singh, who is away on India duty. Despite this absence, Uttar Pradesh has enough depth in its batting to overcome Rinku's loss.Captain Aryan Juyal may consider playing veteran leg spinner Piyush Chawla given the venue's propensity to favor tweakers. Saurabh Kumar and Shivam Sharma are the two spin-bowling all-rounders in the side, and Kerala will have its task cut out against one of the better-balanced teams in the group.

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'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.