Ranji Trophy: Abhimanyu Easwaran’s ton leads to draw as Bengal dominates Uttar Pradesh

Abhimanyu Easwaran continued his superb run with a brilliant century as Bengal drew with Uttar Pradesh on the final day of the Ranji Trophy clash on Monday. Resuming the day on 78, Easwaran scored his 27th first-class hundred – his fifth century in the last nine innings – to help Bengal post their second innings at 254/3, setting UP a target of 273 runs. Despite a challenging pitch and early setbacks, Priyam Garg’s dogged century allowed the hosts to hold on for a draw. Bengal walked away with three runs to take a first-innings lead, while Uttar Pradesh had to settle for one.

Starting the day under cloudy skies, the UP players struggled to generate any movement on the field. Bengal’s opening pair of Easwaran and Sudeep Chatterjee, who had already compiled a century stand on day three, were untroubled by the bowling attack. Yash Dayal’s catch with a short ball did not last long after the left-arm spinner was cautioned for three consecutive hits above shoulder level.

Easwaran, in particular, showed great composure as he scored a hundred from 140 balls. There was a moment of uncertainty when he survived a close encounter against spinner Vipraj Nigam, but he quickly regained his focus and advanced to another century. His partner Sudeep Chatterjee also looked set for a century but fell on 93, caught lbw by Saurabh Kumar.

After the quick dismissals of Sudeep Gharami and Abhishek Porel, who were both bowled out by Nigam in successive deliveries, Easwaran accelerated to score almost at the run-up, extending Bengal’s lead beyond 250. Dark clouds loomed and only spinners were allowed to play due to “Poor lighting”. “Bengal said shortly before lunch, giving himself a chance to achieve the result.

However, UP’s resistance proved stubborn. Bengal’s hopes of an early breakthrough materialized soon after lunch as Mukesh Kumar trapped UP captain Aryan Juyal with just two balls in the session. Swastik Chikara soon followed with a return catch to Mohammed Kaif and when Siddarth Yadav bowled Kaif for eight, UP looked to be in big trouble at 52/3.

But Priyam Garg, showing great resilience, took charge of the innings. Supported by Nitish Rana, who added a consistent 32-ball 7, Garg led UP out of troubled waters. Despite the pain of multiple blows to his ribs, groin and shoulder, Garg showed both defiance and intent. He repelled Mukesh Kumar’s testing spell, especially against bouncers, and at the same time managed to maintain timely boundaries on the scoreboard.

As wickets continued to fall at the other end, Garg remained a UP stronghold. He scored his hundred off 142 balls, hitting Shahbaz Ahmed for six over mid-on. His batting ability allowed UP to finish on 162 for six, forcing Bengal to settle for a draw.