Leg spinner Zeeshan Ansari’s five-wicket haul helped former champions Uttar Pradesh seize control of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match against Goa on Day 2 in Kanpur on Monday.
After Rinku Singh’s unbeaten 118 had lifted UP to 202, Ansari dismissed Goa for 164 to give the hosts a 38-run first-innings lead, which they extended to 140 runs by stumps. UP were 102/4 at stumps on Day 2.
Goa resumed on 43/0. On a Green Park surface already beginning to assist spin, UP needed their bowlers to make every run count and it was Ansari who turned a competitive score into a meaningful lead.
Goa reached 61/0 as Suyash Prabhudessai and Shivendra Bhujbal blunted the new-ball attack. The breakthrough though set the tone for the collapse. Prabhudessai was stumped off Ansari for 19 after a patient 71-ball innings. Soon after, Bhujbal, on 44, became Ansari’s second victim, caught and bowled.
From 61/0, Goa lost their way dramatically. Ansari removed Snehal Kauthankar for a first-ball duck, then returned to claim Ruthvik Naik for nine and Vasuki Koushik for six. His final figures read 5/45 from 15 overs, after taking five wickets and scoring a fifty in the opening game win over Bihar on his Ranji comeback after four years.
{{/usCountry}}From 61/0, Goa lost their way dramatically. Ansari removed Snehal Kauthankar for a first-ball duck, then returned to claim Ruthvik Naik for nine and Vasuki Koushik for six. His final figures read 5/45 from 15 overs, after taking five wickets and scoring a fifty in the opening game win over Bihar on his Ranji comeback after four years.
{{/usCountry}}By the time Ansari completed his five-for, Goa had been bowled out in 61.3 overs. His wickets came at regular intervals, preventing any meaningful partnership from developing.
Ansari bowled with control and was a sustained threat to the Goa batters. With Karan Sharma removing Abhinav Tejrana and Vansh Chaudhary dismissing Yash Kasvankar and Darshan Misal, Ansari had able support.
His dismissal of Bhujbal triggered the slide. The wicketkeeper-batter looked settled on 44 and with Prabhudessai had helped Goa lay a strong platform. Once both openers fell in the space of six overs, Goa’s batting caved in.
Batting again, UP endured another nervous start. Pacer Kasvankar, who took five wickets in the first innings, removed Abhishek Goswami and Madhav Kaushik in the first four balls. But skipper Aryan Juyal’s unbeaten 60 and Karan Sharma’s 31 steadied the innings. Although Ansari fell for three, UP reached 102/4 at stumps.
“No one wanted to allow Goa to take the first innings lead and we were anxious before the start of play this morning. I didn’t do anything special, just kept hitting the right line and length to tempt the batters to try big hits,” said Ansari.
“Once I had my first wicket, I was sure of a good show on this surface where batting wasn’t easy.”
Brief scores: UP 204 (Rinku Singh 118, Yash Kasvankar 5/86) & 102/4 (Aryan Juyal 60*, Kasvankar 2/27). Goa 164 (Shivendra Bhujbal 44, Kartik Yadav 2/34, Vansh Chaudhary 2/27, Zeeshan Ansari 5/45).