Kanpur: Uttar Pradesh began their Ranji Trophy campaign in convincing fashion, defeating Bihar by an innings and 267 runs on the third day of their opening pool match at Rajgir International Cricket Stadium in Rajgir, Bihar, on Monday.UP bowlers dominated proceedings, bundling out Bihar for 141 in the first innings and 132 in the second. Right-arm off-spinner Karan Sharma spearheaded the attack, claiming seven wickets in the match, while all-rounder Kartik Yadav picked up six. Zeeshan Ansari also impressed with five wickets, including four in the second innings.The bowlers exploited the conditions perfectly on the third day, conceding just 229 runs while claiming 18 wickets to wrap up the match and secure a comprehensive victory.Bihar, who resumed their first innings at 44 for two, failed to mount the expected challenge against UP’s spin attack. Karan struck early, dismissing Piyush and Amod Yadav to reduce the hosts to 77 for four. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, leaving Bihar struggling at 99 for six and ultimately bundled out for 141. After securing a substantial 399-run first-innings lead, UP enforced the follow-on.UP coach Gyanendra Pandey expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance. Speaking to TOI, he praised the bowlers for making excellent use of the wicket and lauded captain Aryan Juyal for handling his bowling resources effectively.Brief Scores:UP 540Bihar first innings 141 (Mangal Mahrour 25, Piyush Singh 17, Amod Yadav 16, Sraman Nigrodh 23, Sakibul Gani 15, Bipin Saurabh 13, Suraj Kashyap 18; Kartik Yadav 4/26, Kartik Tyagi 1/30, Karan Sharma 4/28, Zeeshan Ansari 1/23)Bihar second innings 132 (Mangal Mahrour 27, Sraman Nigrodh 16, Sakibul Gani 24, Bipin Saurabh 10, Raghuvendra Singh 16, Suraj Kashyap 25; Abhinandan Singh 1/24, Karan Sharma 3/17, Kartik Yadav 2/47, Zeeshan Ansari 4/40)
