UP bowlers bundle out Odisha for 243 on Day 1

Kanpur: Uttar Pradesh bowlers delivered a spirited performance to restrict Odisha to a below-par total of 243 on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Pool A league match at Green Park Stadium on Saturday.In reply, Uttar Pradesh reached 17 for no loss at stumps, with openers Abhishek Goswami (6) and Madhav Kaushik (9) steady at the crease. The Green Park wicket, known for assisting bowlers during the pre-lunch and post-tea sessions, behaved as expected. Opting to bat first, Odisha lost both openers — Swastik Samal and Aashirvad Swain — cheaply to pacer Shivam Mavi, both edging behind to wicketkeeper Aryan Juyal. Skipper Subhranshu Senapati was soon bowled by Kunal Tyagi for 3, leaving Odisha reeling at 36 for 3. The visitors' fightback was led by Sandeep Pattanaik (53), Govinda Poddar (64), and debutant Sambit Baral (59*). Pattanaik and Poddar steadied the innings with composed batting, rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries. By lunch, Odisha had reached 84 for 3 in 32 overs. However, the post-lunch session once again brought trouble as the team slumped from 128 for 3 to 131 for 6, losing three wickets for the addition of just three runs. Pattanaik was dismissed by Shivam Sharma for 53 after a 94-run stand with Poddar, while Rajesh Dhuper followed soon after, caught by Vipraj Nigam for a duck. Poddar also departed shortly after, trapped lbw by Sharma for 64. Debutant Sambit Baral and Rajesh Mohanty then forged a vital 92-run partnership for the seventh wicket, taking Odisha past 200. Their resistance ended when Mohanty fell to debutant Prashant Veer for 48 (5x4,3x6). Baral remained unbeaten on 59 off 80 balls, striking seven fours and three sixes. Vipraj Nigam and Prashant Veer wrapped up the innings at 243, dismissing the tail-enders. Odisha's innings folded just nine minutes before the scheduled close of play. The umpires extended the day's play by half an hour to complete the 90-over quota. Prashant Veer and Kunal Tyagi made their debut for Uttar Pradesh. Shivam Sharma (3/65), Shivam Mavi (2/46), Vipraj Nigam (2/39), and Prashant Veer (2/1) shared the spoils for Uttar Pradesh, while Kunal Tyagi (1/35) bowled a tight spell. UP coach Arvind Kapoor praised the bowlers' disciplined effort, saying, "The bowlers did their job splendidly. Now it's the batsmen's turn to ensure we put up enough runs to avoid a second innings."Brief ScoresOdisha – 243 all out (Govinda Poddar 64, Sandeep Pattanaik 53, Sambit Baral 59, Rajesh Mohanty 48; Shivam Sharma 3/65, Shivam Mavi 2/46, Vipraj Nigam 2/39, Prashant Veer 2/1)*Uttar Pradesh – 17/0 (Abhishek Goswami 6, Madhav Kaushik 9)*