Patna: Bihar suffered a crushing defeat in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match at the Moin-ul-Haque Stadium, Patna, as Uttar Pradesh triumphed by an innings and 119 runs on Sunday. This loss continues Bihar’s poor performance in the season, leaving them with only 1 point in the table, while Uttar Pradesh secured 7 points from the match, bringing their total to 13.
Tournament Outlook
Uttar Pradesh’s final group-stage match is scheduled against Madhya Pradesh in Indore, while Bihar will face Kerala in their concluding fixture. Bihar’s consistent defeats and meagre point tally place them at risk of relegation to the Plate Group. Currently, Puducherry (2 points) and Meghalaya (0 points) are also at the bottom of the standings, with the two lowest-ranked teams from all Elite groups facing demotion.
Match Summary
On the fourth and final day of play, Bihar resumed their second innings at 130 for five, with Ayush Loharuka and Sachin Kumar Singh attempting to salvage the game. The pair added 105 runs, but Loharuka fell for 49, narrowly missing a half-century. Sachin, who managed to complete his fifty, was run out for 50 off 134 balls, including eight boundaries.
Despite contributions from Veer Pratap Singh (29 runs off 43 balls) and Himanshu Singh (16 runs off 18 balls), the Bihar batting order collapsed, and the team was bowled out for 236 in 90.4 overs. Shivam Sharma of Uttar Pradesh delivered a stellar bowling performance, claiming five wickets for 58 runs. Saurabh Kumar (2/48) and Vaibhav Chaudhary (1/19) supported him effectively.
Bihar’s Season Woes
This defeat marks Bihar’s fourth innings loss of the season, following similar setbacks against Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana. Their match against Bengal was washed out, and both teams were awarded 1 point.
Bihar’s campaign in the Ranji Trophy has highlighted serious challenges in their performance, with relegation to the Plate Group now a pressing concern. The team must regroup and deliver an improved performance against Kerala to avoid further setbacks.