Ranji Trophy : Uttar Pradesh Made a Determined Effort for Victory but Baroda’s Late Resistance in batting Secures Draw

Kanpur, Green Prak : Uttar Pradesh had to settle for three points after Baroda produced a determined batting display to secure a draw in their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy 2026-27 clash at Green Park Stadium on Thursday. Despite putting Baroda under immense pressure in the final innings, the hosts could not claim the remaining four wickets as the visitors finished at 169/6. Uttar Pradesh, who were looking for their third outright victory of the season, began the final day from a commanding position. Resuming at 455/8, the hosts added 37 runs in quick time to take their first-innings total to 492, establishing a significant 137-run advantage over Baroda’s 355. Shivam Mavi provided a late boost with an attacking 40 off 40 balls, including five fours and a six. Kartik Tyagi added nine runs as Uttar Pradesh brought their innings to a close after 137.3 overs.

Baroda faced a difficult challenge, with survival becoming their primary objective. Uttar Pradesh’s bowling attack initially made the most of the situation, with Prashant Veer leading the charge. The left-arm spinner delivered an impressive 17-over spell, picking up three wickets for 42 runs. His dismissals of Manan Solanki (21), Shashwat Rawat (4) and Mitesh Patel (8) pushed Baroda into serious trouble. Karan Sharma had earlier provided the breakthrough by dismissing Dhruv Patel for 42, while Zeeshan Ansari and Shivam Mavi also claimed a wicket each.

The visitors found themselves struggling at 115/6, trailing by 22 runs, and Uttar Pradesh appeared poised to wrap up the contest. However, Baroda skipper Atit Sheth and Mahesh Pithiya showed remarkable patience and determination to turn the closing stages into a battle of survival.

Atit Sheth remained unbeaten on 40, displaying excellent temperament, while Pithiya faced 84 deliveries for his unbeaten 14. The duo stitched together a crucial unbroken partnership, successfully negotiating the remaining 23.4 overs to take Baroda to 169/6 at stumps. Pithiya proved particularly influential throughout the match. After claiming six wickets in Uttar Pradesh’s first innings, he once again made a valuable contribution, this time with the bat, helping his side avoid defeat. Uttar Pradesh’s dominant position in the match had largely been built on an outstanding batting effort. Openers Adarsh Singh and Madhav Kaushik produced a memorable 309-run opening stand, facing 541 deliveries. Adarsh struck a magnificent 162, while Kaushik scored 137. Aryan Juyal added another 67 runs to take the home side to 492.

For Baroda, Mahesh Pithiya was the leading wicket-taker with figures of 5/112, while Kartik Yadav spearheaded Uttar Pradesh’s bowling in the first innings with 5/104. Karan Sharma supported him effectively, claiming three wickets for 39 runs. Uttar Pradesh Second in Elite Group A. Following the completion of the first phase of the Ranji Trophy, Uttar Pradesh occupy second place in the Elite Group A standings with 19 points from four matches. Vidarbha remain at the top with 26 points, while Baroda are placed third with 18 points.

The competition will resume in January, with Uttar Pradesh facing a challenging schedule in the concluding phase. They will take on Madhya Pradesh in Indore from January 17 to 20 before hosting defending champions Jammu and Kashmir in Kanpur from January 24 to 27. Their final league encounter will be against Vidarbha in Nagpur from February 1 to 4. Uttar Pradesh will now aim to build on their strong first-phase performance and convert their promising form into victories when the Ranji Trophy resumes in the new year.