Rinku Singh’s Career-Best 176 Gives Uttar Pradesh First-Innings Lead Over Tamil Nadu

Indian cricket Rainku Singh hit a career best knock of 176 runs to help Uttar Pradesh take the crucial first innings lead as their fifth round Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu ended in a draw at Coimbatore today.

Resuming at 98 not out and with the visitors still needed 117 runs with four wickets in hands to secure the lead, the southpaw, held the innings together despite losing partners at the other end.

Resuming the fourth and final day at 339 for six, Uttar Pradesh soon lost its overnight batsman Shivam Sharma (22) of the second over of the day.

However, Rinku added a crucial 59 runs for the eighth wicket with Kartik Yadav (20, 59 balls, 4x4) as the visitors closed in on on the TN total of 455. After adding another 36 runs for the ninth wicket with Aaqib Khan (14), Rinku, who scored his ninth first class century earlier in the day nd later crossed his previous best score of 165 not out, fell after scoring a fluent 176 (247 balls, 17x4, 6x6), taking the attack to the Oppositio camp after losing two wickets in the day.

However, he fell with the visitors still needing 13 runs for the crucial lead and the last wicket pair of Aaqib Khan and Kunal Tyagi achieved it before the innings ended at 460 in 145.1 overs, as UP secured a five run first innings lead, at the stroke of lunch.

For Tamil Nadu leftarm spinner P Vidyuth claimed career best figures of four for 73, while another leftarm spinner and skipper R Sai Kishore bagged three wickets. P Saravana Kumar chipped in with two wickets.

In the second essay, the home team scored 103 for two in 21 overs with opener B.Sachin scoring a fine half century (59) and other opener Narayan Jagadeesan (44). The duo added 99 for the first wicket in 19.5 overs before Sachin fell. Once Jagadeesan too departed four runs later, both the teams shook hands as the contest ended in a draw.

Uttar Pradesh gained three points for securing the lead and took its tally to 17 points in five outings, while Tamil Nadu, which had suffered two losses and failed to get the lead in two other matches, got a solitary point and now has five points from five matches, and has a mountain to climb to keep its hopes alive of making the knock-outs.

Brief scores :

Tamil Nadu 455 and 103 for 2 in 21 overs (B Sachin 59, N Jagadeesan 44) drew with Uttar

Pradesh 460 in 145.1 overs (Abhishek Goswami 79, Aryan Juyal 43, Rinku Singh 176,

Shivam Mavi 54 P Vidyuth 4 for 73, R Sai Kishore 3 for 99, P Saravana Kumar 2 for 76).