The second day of the Vijay Merchant Trophy U16 match between Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh witnessed a gripping contest, with Tamil Nadu securing a narrow but potentially decisive first-innings lead. The hero of the day was medium pacer Pooli Chelladurai Raja D, whose impressive six-wicket haul dismantled the UP batting lineup at the KSCA Navule Stadium.
Chelladurai's Brilliance Restricts UP
In reply to Tamil Nadu's first-innings total of 269, Uttar Pradesh was bowled out for 260, handing Tamil Nadu a crucial nine-run lead. The innings revolved around a fine knock from UP opener Hitesh Kumar, who scored a fluent 80 off 108 balls, including 14 boundaries. He built a solid 86-run partnership for the third wicket with Arush Gupta, who contributed a composed 53.
However, Pooli Chelladurai broke key partnerships at regular intervals. He dismissed the set Hitesh Kumar and later returned to break a stubborn last-wicket stand. He was well-supported by Abhishek S, who took three wickets for 44 runs. A dramatic collapse saw UP lose five wickets cheaply, but a spirited 52-run last-wicket partnership between Prithviraj Singh (27) and Krishna Yadav (26*) threatened to steal the lead before Chelladurai had the final say.
Tamil Nadu Consolidates Lead in Second Innings
By the close of play on the second day, Tamil Nadu had strengthened their position. They reached 43 for 1 in their second innings from 14 overs, extending their overall lead to 52 runs with nine wickets still in hand. The unbeaten batsmen at the crease were Rishabh Sriram (19*) and Rokith R (5*).
This solid start gives Tamil Nadu a firm platform to build a substantial target on the third day. With a lead already in hand and wickets in reserve, they are in the driver's seat to force a result in this tightly contested encounter.
Match Summary and Outlook
The brief scores tell the story of a closely fought two days. Tamil Nadu will be buoyed by their bowling performance, led by the match-defining spell from Pooli Chelladurai, who finished with figures of 6 for 75. Uttar Pradesh, despite the fighting knocks from Hitesh Kumar and Arush Gupta, will rue the middle-order collapse that cost them the first-innings lead.
The third day's play will be critical. Tamil Nadu will aim to bat UP out of the game by setting a daunting target, while the Uttar Pradesh bowlers will need early breakthroughs to stage a comeback and chase a manageable total in the fourth innings.
