By A Correspondent
Patna: Bihar batsmen displayed resilience and skill on day three of their Ranji Trophy clash against Madhya Pradesh at Moinul Haque Stadium. Ending the day on 331 for eight, Bihar still needs 135 runs to avoid the follow-on, with two wickets left. Madhya Pradesh had earlier set a massive first-innings total of 616 runs.
Resuming at 131 for four, Bihar’s Bipin Saurabh and Ayush Lohruka batted confidently, building a 96-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Bipin scored an aggressive 71 from 89 balls, which included six fours and three sixes. However, he was stumped by Himanshu Mantri off Saransh Jain’s bowling as he advanced forward, trying to score his century.
Following Bipin’s exit, Ayush teamed up with Sarman Nigrodh, who offered solid support. The two put together an 86-run stand for the sixth wicket, keeping Madhya Pradesh’s bowlers at bay. Ayush was eventually dismissed by Venkatesh Iyer, caught by Kumar Kartikeya Singh for a valuable 76 runs off 213 balls, which included 11 fours. Sarman added a steady 42 off 122 balls before being trapped LBW by Aryan Pandey.
Bihar suffered a late setback when Sachin Kumar Singh, who batted patiently for 34 off 99 balls with six boundaries, was bowled by Kumar Kartikeya Singh just before stumps. Captain Veer Pratap Singh remained at the crease with four runs as play ended.
Bihar’s innings included contributions from Piyush Kumar Singh (37), Babul Kumar (47), and Sakibul Gani (3). Madhya Pradesh’s bowlers had a challenging day, with Saransh Jain claiming three wickets for 107 runs, Kumar Kartikeya Singh taking two for 85, Aryan Pandey picking up two for 37, and Venkatesh Iyer taking one for 19.
Bihar will aim to extend their innings on day four and reach the target needed to avoid the follow-on.
