Yuvraj keeps Chandigarh in hunt

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 7

After a five-wicket haul in the first innings, left-arm spinner Yuvraj Choudhary picked up three wickets in Bihar’s second essay to give Chandigarh a slight advantage over the visitors on the second day of their Col CK Nayudu Trophy Plate Group match at the Sector 16 stadium here today.

Trailing Chandigarh by 130 runs, Bihar were struggling at 130/4 at the draw of stumps, with Utkarsh batting on 33 and captain Sachin Kumar Singh on 31.

Choudhary got rid of openers Pranav Singh (3) and Bipin Saurabh (29) before dismissing Harsh Raj on 1 to reduce the visitors to 49/3. He then ran out a set S Gani on 28 to spell more trouble for Bihar. However, Utkarsh and Sachin Singh stitched an unbeaten 47-run partnership for the fifth wicket to ensure that the side did not lose any more wickets.

Earlier in the day, Apurva Anand’s five-wicket haul helped the visitors restrict Chandigarh to 270 runs in their first innings.

Resuming at overnight 148/4, Bhagmender Lather and Akshit Rana took the Chandigarh total to 227 before Anand got the first breakthrough of the day for the visitors — Rana fell after facing 55 balls for his 30.

His end triggered a collapse as the hosts lost their last wickets for the addition of just 43 runs to the total.

Lather was dismissed by Anand on 56, while Choudhary could add just five runs to the total before losing his wicket to the spinner.

Nippun Pandita was caught by Vibhooti Bhaskar off Anand on 5, while Shivang Saini was dismissed by Sachin Singh on naught. Chandigarh skipper Amrit Lubana, who was forced to leave the field due to an injury yesterday, was the last wicket to fall in the Chandigarh innings. He was stumped by Bipin Saurabh off Sachin on 41.

Bihar in their first innings had made 140 runs.