Kanpur: Left-arm orthodox spinner Akshu Bajwa’s brilliant six-wicket haul helped Uttar Pradesh bowl out Chandigarh for a modest 170 on the opening day of their Under-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy match at Green Park Stadium on Friday.Bajwa’s incisive spell was the highlight of a spin-dominated day, which saw 13 wickets fall for 216 runs on a surface offering ample assistance to the slow bowlers. After being dismissed cheaply, Chandigarh struck back in the final session, picking up three UP wickets for 46 runs to keep the contest evenly poised at stumps. Chandigarh’s Nishunk Birla claimed two wickets. Earlier, Chandigarh’s skipper won the toss and elected to bat, but the decision backfired as wickets fell at regular intervals. Opener Dushyant (19) was the first to depart in the fifth over with the score on 24, trapped in front by medium pacer Vijay Kumar after hitting two boundaries and a six. Aryan Bansal and Raghav Verma attempted to steady the innings and added 52 runs, but the partnership ended when Shubham Mishra dismissed Bansal for a well-made 40 off 56 balls, which included six boundaries and a six. Thereafter, Akshu Bajwa ran through the middle and lower order, removing Raghav Verma (15), Nikhil (25), Aarush (3), Adhiraj (0), Nishunk Birla (0) and Jaskirat Singh (0), reducing Chandigarh to 146 for 9. Some resistance came from Aryan Duggal and Ivraj Ranauta, who added 24 runs for the last wicket. The innings ended at 170 when Vijay Kumar bowled Duggal with an incoming delivery. Duggal top-scored among the lower order with a quick 22 off 14 balls, including five boundaries. UP’s reply got off to a shaky start as they lost three wickets for 46 runs in 28 overs. Captain and opener Adarsh Singh was caught behind for 2 off medium pacer Aryan Duggal. Chandigarh’s early use of spin paid dividends as Nishunk Birla removed Siddharth Chaudhary (21) and Ritu Raj Sharma (9). At stumps, Uttar Pradesh still trailed by 124 runs in the first innings. With the pitch continuing to assist spinners, scoring runs on day two will be a stiff challenge. UP coach Gyanendra Pandey said the batsmen would need to apply themselves and bat through the day if the hosts are to push for a win. Meanwhile, Chandigarh coach Ravindra Sharma hoped his spinners would deliver on day two, which he felt would make for an interesting contest. In the morning, players and officials from both teams observed a two-minute silence to pay tribute to UPCA chief curator Shiv Kumar, who passed away while preparing the wicket for this tie. Brief scores: Chandigarh 1st innings: 170 (Arnav Bansal 40, Nikhil 25, Devang Kaushik 26; Vijay Kumar 3/51, Akshu Bajwa 6/56) UP 1st innings: 3/46 (Siddharth Chaudhary 21; Nishunk Birla 2/24).
