Kanpur: Half-centuries from skipper Karan Sharma and Aaradhya Yadav helped Uttar Pradesh take control against Odisha on the second day of their Ranji Trophy match, finishing at 262 for 3, with a lead of 19 runs at stumps at Green Park here on Sunday.
Resuming from 17 for no loss, openers Abhishek Goswami and Madhav Kaushik gave UP a solid start, adding 45 runs for the first wicket. Both, however, fell to Sambit Baral, who was the pick of the Odisha bowlers. Goswami made 24, while Kaushik scored a patient 67 off 122 balls, hitting nine boundaries.
Baral struck again soon after, removing Aryan Juyal for a duck, reducing UP to 45 for 2. But captain Karan Sharma (83 not out off 199 balls) and Aaradhya Yadav (80 not out off 151 balls) steadied the innings with an unbroken 146-run stand for the fourth wicket. Their partnership ensured UP ended the day in a strong position with a narrow lead.
Earlier, Odisha were bowled out for 243 in their first innings on Day 1. Govinda Poddar (64), Sandeep Pattnaik (53), and Sambit Baral (59 not out) were the key contributors, while Shivam Sharma (3/65) and Vipraj Nigam (2/39) led the UP bowling attack.
For Odisha, Baral’s 3 for 35 was the lone bright spot as other bowlers struggled to break the Karan-Aaradhya partnership.
With seven wickets in hand and two set batters at the crease, Uttar Pradesh will look to extend their lead on Day 3, while Odisha will aim for early breakthroughs to stay in the contest.
