Ranji Trophy: UP’s Madhav, Aryan slam unbeaten centuries against Nagaland

Kanpur: Brilliant unbeaten centuries by opener Madhav Kaushik and wicketkeeper Aryan Juyal put Uttar Pradesh in a commanding position, as the hosts finished Day 1 at 301 for 1 in their Ranji Trophy match against Nagaland at Green Park Stadium on Saturday.After captain Karan Sharma elected to bat, Madhav and Aryan put on an unbroken 183-run partnership for the second wicket, guiding UP towards a big total. Madhav played the anchor's role throughout the day and remained unbeaten on 120, batting for more than six hours (360 minutes). Aryan, who joined him after lunch, counter-attacked effectively to reach 118 not out off 172 balls, striking 15 boundaries. Madhav enjoyed a slice of luck as well in the afternoon session when a simple catch at gully was dropped by Yugandhar off medium-pacer Ronit More. Madhav cut a short ball straight to the fielder, who spilled the chance. After that, Madhav offered no further opportunities and continued with confidence. Meanwhile, in the morning session, visiting captain Jonathan Rongsen failed to exploit the movement on the Green Park surface. He rotated his bowlers frequently, changing them every three to four overs, preventing them from settling. The pacers, in particular, bowled consistently on the fourth and fifth stump lines, which did not trouble the batsmen. After lunch, UP suffered a setback when opener Abhishek Goswami (55) was bowled by left-arm spinner Imliwati. Thereafter, Aryan and Madhav added 114 runs in the post-lunch session. At tea, the score was 231 for 1, with Aryan on 91 and Madhav on 77. The duo returned after the break and completed their tons. Madhav brought up his hundred off 226 balls with a double off More, while Aryan reached his century with a boundary off Imliwati. This was Madhav's fourth first-class century and Aryan's eighth. UP coach Arvind Kapoor expressed satisfaction with his team's performance. Speaking to TOI, he said that both Madhav and Aryan applied well and capitalised on their starts. He hoped the team would post around 500 runs on Day 2 before putting Nagaland in to bat. Nagaland team manager Wati Jamir said that the first day was tiring for the bowlers, as they did not get the results they hoped for. However, he was optimistic about Day 2, noting that there was some turn available on the wicket. Brief scores: UP first innings: 301 for 1 (90 overs) Abhishek Goswami 55, Madhav Kaushik batting 120, Aryan Juyal batting 118, Imliwati 1 for 56)