Patna: Bihar faced a challenging start in their Ranji Trophy match against Punjab, managing only 135 runs before being bowled out on a weather-affected opening day at IS Bindra Stadium, Chandigarh. Ayush Loharuka was the standout performer for Bihar, top-scoring with a determined 63 runs.
Punjab opted to field first after winning the toss, quickly putting Bihar on the back foot. Bihar’s top order faltered, with five wickets down for just 43 runs. Middle-order partnerships provided some resistance, with a 39-run stand for the sixth wicket and a 42-run partnership for the seventh wicket pushing Bihar past the 100-run mark.
Among Bihar’s other contributors, Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 13, Piyush 6, Babul 8, Sakibul 3, and Bipin Saurabh fell for a duck. Lower-order contributions included Sarman Nigrodh with 9, Veer Pratap with 18, Himanshu Singh with 6, and Sabbir Khan with 1.
Punjab’s bowling attack was effective, with Sukhdeep Bajwa taking three wickets. Baltej, Naman Dheer, and Mayank Markandey each claimed two wickets, while Gurnoor Brar took one.
Weather interruptions shortened the day’s play, with the start delayed by over an hour and an early stop due to poor light. As a result, only 56.2 overs were bowled on the first day.
