The opening day of the Vijay Merchant Trophy Under-16 clash between Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh was dominated by a captain's knock, as skipper Shri Dharun ST struck a magnificent century to guide his team to a total of 269 runs. The match is being played at the KSCA Navula Stadium in Shimoga.
Dharun's Rescue Act After Early Collapse
After being invited to bat first, Tamil Nadu's innings got off to a disastrous start. The Uttar Pradesh bowling attack, led impressively by Aryan Tyagi, ripped through the top order, reducing Tamil Nadu to a precarious 60 for 4 in just 22 overs. Tyagi claimed the wickets of Dhanvanth (18), Rokith R (0), and Dhashwin (2), while Prithvi Raj Singh dismissed Arya Ganesh.
Facing a collapse, captain Shri Dharun ST stepped up to anchor the innings. He first stitched together a crucial 61-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Rishabh Sriram, who contributed a patient 48 runs from 118 balls. Just as stability returned, Sriram was unfortunately run out.
The Century and Vital Lower-Order Partnerships
Unfazed, Dharun found another reliable partner in Pugul Vishnu, with whom he added 62 runs for the sixth wicket. This partnership was broken when Aryan Tyagi returned to bowl Pugul for 24. Dharun, however, marched on towards his milestone.
The Tamil Nadu captain brought up his well-deserved century off 138 deliveries, an innings decorated with 13 fours and two sixes. He continued to accumulate runs with Pooli Chelladurai before finally being dismissed for 100, stumped by Aalok Kumar off the bowling of Krishna Yadav. A final-wicket stand of 29 runs between Pooli Chelladurai (25) and Abhishek took Tamil Nadu to a competitive first-innings total of 269.
UP's Brief Response and Bowling Highlights
In reply, Uttar Pradesh faced a brief but tricky period before stumps. They lost opener Ayansh Sanu for just 4 runs in the third over, with the wicket taken by Pooli Chelladurai Raja D. At the close of play on Day One, UP's scorecard read 13 for 1, with Hitesh Kumar unbeaten on 9.
For the Uttar Pradesh bowling unit, Aryan Tyagi was the standout performer, finishing with excellent figures of 4 for 67. He was well-supported by Prithvi Raj Singh and Krishna Yadav, who picked up two wickets each.
The day undoubtedly belonged to Tamil Nadu's captain, Shri Dharun ST, whose resilient ton has given his team a solid platform. Uttar Pradesh will now look to build a strong response when play resumes on the second day.
