Bowlers give Punjab the edge

Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 24

Punjab bowlers fired in unison to bundle out Uttar Pradesh for 106 runs after the hosts were restricted to 168 runs in their first innings on the opening day of their Col CK Nayudu Trophy match at IS Bindra PCA Stadium here on Monday.

Put in to bat, Punjab had an inauspicious beginning as they lost four wickets for just 26 runs. 

Shivam Bhambri was the first to go, caught by Abhishek Goswami off Harshvardhan on 10. Wajid Ali then sent off Abhijeet Garg (4), Ramandeep Singh (0) and Akul Pandove (0) in quick succession to put the hosts on the back-foot. 

Opener Mansab Gill and skipper Anmol Malhotra batted sensibly and put together 64 runs for the fifth wicket before Harshvardhan came back to break the partnership.

Gill was caught by Rahul Rawat after making a patient 52 off 80 ball, which included nine boundaries and a six. 

With half of the Punjab side back in the hut, Malhotra found an able ally in Nikhil Chaudhary and the duo took the total to 150 with a sixty-run stand for the sixth wicket before the skipper fell to Trishal Vijay Trivedi on 41. 

Two runs later, Boby Yadav dismissed Chaudhary (41) to reduce the hosts to 152/7.  

Punjab lost the remaining three wickets for 16 runs to fold up their innings on 168. 

Wajid Ali (3/56) and Trivedi (3/18) shared six wickets between them, while Harshvardhan (2/35) and Boby Yadav (2/47) took two wickets each for the visitors.   

Needing to defend a small total, Punjab bowlers led by Ikjot Singh Thind bundled out Uttar Pradesh for 106 runs in 24.4 overs to help the hosts gain a crucial 62-run first innings lead.  

Ikjot ran through the Uttar Pradesh top order claiming Hannan Rizwan (1), Abhishek Goswami (8), skipper Shubham Chaubey (0) and Sandeep Kumar (2) in his first three overs. 

Arshdeep Singh then dismissed Boby Yadav on six to reduce the visitors to 18/5 in the seventh over.    

Rawat along with Shiva Singh added 22 runs for the sixth wicket before Arshdeep cleaned up the latter on five. Trivedi (9) and Aryan Juyal (8) lasted 17 and nine balls respectively. 

Rawat, who was waging a lone battle at the other end, finally succumbed to Harpreet Brar on 54. 

Harshvardhan was the last wicket to fall in the UP innings. He was caught by Brar off Pandove on seven. 

Ikjot claimed 4/24, while Arshdeep bagged 3/40 for the hosts. Brar took 2/7.

At the draw of stumps, Punjab were batting on 3/0, with Bhambri and Gill unbeaten on one run each.