Former champions Uttar Pradesh transformed a precarious 67/4 into a commanding 328/9 on Day Two of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match against hosts Puducherry at the Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Stadium, with former captain Karan Sharma producing one of the finest innings of his first-class career on Tuesday.
Uttar Pradesh was in deep trouble at stumps on the opening day, having lost their top four for 67 in 37 overs after Puducherry chose to field on a rain-hit day. Karan Sharma was unbeaten on 17 from 70 balls at that stage, with Aaradhya Yadav on two, and the visitors badly needed a long, disciplined partnership.
The situation worsened briefly on Tuesday when Rinku Singh fell for a duck and Aaradhya Yadav was dismissed for 15, leaving Uttar Pradesh at 86/5. Zeeshan Ansari then made a useful 19, but the innings still looked vulnerable at 128/6 in the 60th over. From there, Karan Sharma took control.
Karan Sharma finished the day unbeaten on 162 from 328 deliveries, an innings containing 13 fours and one six at a strike rate of 49.39. His hundred came in difficult conditions against a Puducherry attack that used the new ball and spin effectively, with Sagar Udeshi taking 4/86 and Ankit Sharma claiming 3/73.
The innings stood out because he adapted so well to the situation. On the first day, Sharma had to survive, facing 70 balls for his 17 runs and showing restraint as Ankit Sharma and Udeshi squeezed Uttar Pradesh. Once set on Day Two, he shifted gears without abandoning his defensive base, rotating strike, punishing loose deliveries and ensuring that every partnership added pressure back on the bowlers.
For a former Uttar Pradesh captain, this was a statement innings as it was his fifth in the first-class. It was not merely a personal milestone but a demonstration of leadership through temperament and exactly the kind of knock that can turn a struggling batting display into a competitive total.
In fact, the decisive stand came with Shivam Mavi, who walked in at No 8 with Uttar Pradesh still 128/6. P{laying just his first match this season after recovering from an injury lay-off Mavi scored 50 from 88 balls, striking five fours and one six, and his aggression gave Sharma the freedom to bat at his own pace. Their partnership of 87 runs for the seventh wicket took Uttar Pradesh from 128/6 to 215, fundamentally changing the momentum of the match.
Mavi’s approach was particularly important because it prevented Puducherry from maintaining sustained pressure. While Sharma absorbed the bowling and built his innings, Mavi counterattacked whenever the field spread or the bowlers erred in length. The stand lasted until the 86.3 over, when Mavi was leg-before to Karan Kannan for 50. By then, Uttar Pradesh had moved from survival mode into a position to post a substantial score.
“I enjoyed the batting today. I remember making a few runs and when I got trapped, it was still fun to score,” said Karan at the end of day’s play. “The wicket was fine, but losing our fifth wicket the other day was a setback, so we had to bat as long as possible.”
“Partnership, partnership, partnership-that’s how we moved towards a big score. The partnership with Shivam Mavi was the most crucial. He came back after an injury, playing his first match after so many months, and built a great partnership. Small partnerships lead to a big score and that’s exactly how it happened,” he further said.
Even after Mavi’s dismissal, Uttar Pradesh did not collapse. Kartik Yadav made 16 and Yash Dayal contributed three, while Sharma continued to accumulate. The innings eventually reached 328/9 in 121 overs, with Vansh Chaudhary unbeaten on zero at stumps.
Puducherry’s bowlers had their moments as Udeshi’s four wickets and Ankit Sharma’s three kept the home side in the contest but the 87-run seventh-wicket stand between Sharma and Mavi proved the turning point. It converted a potentially sub-par total into a platform from which Uttar Pradesh can now look to dictate terms over the remaining two days.