Veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar blew away Bengal top-order in an incredible five-wicket haul in a dream Ranji Trophy comeback as Uttar Pradesh bounced back after being shot out for 60 on the opening day of their group B match here on Friday.
Opting to bowl on a green-top pitch after a delayed start, Uttar Pradesh’s first innings lasted just 20.5 overs in the opening session.
India pacer Mohammed Shami’s younger brother Mohammed Kaif was the star for Bengal, claiming 4/14 in his 5.5 overs.
But what unfolded thereafter was a Bhuvi show as the injury-prone India seamer marked his first-class return by claiming 5/25 from 13 overs, that included three maiden overs.
The 33-year-old, who last played in Tests in the South Africa tour in 2018, dismissed Sourav Paul (13) and Sudip Gharami (0) in the space of three balls.
He then returned to take the wickets of Anustup Majumdar (12), captain Manoj Tiwary (3) and Abhishek Porel (12) in one spell en route to his 13th first-class fifer.
With India’s five-match home Test series against England on the horizon and doubts lingering over Mohammed Shami’s return, it remains to be seen if the selectors are prompted to reconsider Bhuvneshwar after Friday’s show.
At stumps, Bengal were 95/5. Opener Sayan Ghosh, playing the lone vigil with a dogged 37 off 87 balls, was the last designated Bengal batter. He has Karan Lal in company, batting on 8.
Iyer 48, Rahane golden duck on return
Andhra’s 20-year-old seamer Nitish Reddy grabbed 3/20, including the prized-scalps of Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer, to prevent Mumbai from establishing a firm grip in another group B match.
Hosts Mumbai were restricted to 281/6 at stumps.
Reddy dismissed the Mumbai skipper and veteran Indian batter Rahane for a golden duck and then denied Iyer a half-century by two runs in his comeback match.
Returning to the Mumbai XI for the first time in the Ranji Trophy since the 2018-19 season, Iyer entertained with a run-a-ball 48 (7×4).
But Iyer, who struggled for form in the two-match Test series in South Africa, could not convert his start and became the fifth wicket to fall for Mumbai.
The day, however, began with optimism for the 41-time Ranji champions, as their top-order batters aimed to lay a solid foundation after Ricky Bhui opted to bowl.
Opener Jay Bista set the foundation with a gritty innings of 39 runs off 78 balls, but fell to a catch by substitute fielder K Ashwin Hebbar with Reddy breaking the opening stand for 69.
In the very next over, Rahane, who is also returning after sitting out of the opening match due to a stiff neck, was trapped by Reddy.
The other opener Bhupen Lalwani showed resolve to play anchor, notching up 61 runs in 119 balls, displaying a balance of technique and patience in his partnership with Suved Parkar.
But, he was cleaned up by Lalith Mohan, leaving Suved Parkar and Iyer to stabilise Mumbai innings.
Later, Prasad Pawar and Shams Mulani played crucial roles, batting on 30 and 31 respectively to ensure that Mumbai end the day on a positive note, minimizing the damage caused by earlier dismissals.
Brief Scores:
In Kanpur: Uttar Pradesh 60 all out in 20.5 overs (Samarth Singh 13; Mohammed Kaif 4/14, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal 3/20, Ishan Porel 2/24) vs Bengal 95 for 5 in 28 overs (Sayan Ghosh 37 batting; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 5/25).
In Mumbai: Mumbai 281 for 6 in 88 overs (Bhupen Lalwani 61, Shreyas Iyer 48, Suved Parkar 41, Shams Mulani 30 batting, Tanush Kotian 31 batting; Nitish Reddy 3/44, Shoaib Md Khan 2/42) vs Andhra.
In Patna: Bihar 108 all out in 38.4 overs (Bipin Saurabh 49; Ravi Kiran 5/21, Vashudev Bareth 3/21) vs Chhattisgarh 90 for 1 in 27 overs (Rishabh Tiwari 42 batting).
In Guwahati: Kerala 141 for 1 in 37 overs (Rohan Kunnummal 83, Krishna Prasad 52 batting) vs Assam.