Lucknow: Opener Madhav Kaushik and Rinku Singh struck unbeaten centuries as former champions Uttar Pradesh reached 287/3 against Bihar at stumps on day one of their Ranji Trophy Group A opener at the Rajgir International Cricket Stadium in Bihar on Sunday.

File image of Rinku Singh. (PTI)

Kaushik was on 124 and Rinku 109 not out, sharing an unbroken 202-run fourth-wicket stand that transformed a shaky start into a strong opening day position after being asked to bat by Bihar.

Bihar’s decision initially looked perfect as UP lost opener Abhishek Goswami for 13 in the eighth over, caught by Sakibul Gani off Amod Yadav.

Captain and wicketkeeper Aryan Juyal fell to off-spinner Suraj Kashyap for 13, reducing the innings to 59/2. Karan Sharma then became Kashyap’s second victim, trapped leg-before for 13, leaving UP at 85/3 in the 34th over.

Uttar Pradesh needed a substantial partnership to revive the innings. Opener Kaushik had already shown the discipline required on a fresh pitch, while Rinku arrived carrying the responsibility of stabilising the innings. The pair steadied the innings, lifting the innings from 85/3 without losing another wicket.

The innings of Kaushik (124- 252b,15x4) was built on occupying the crease and cautious shot selection. He respected the new ball and absorbed pressure during Bihar’s early spells before gradually stepping up his scoring.

By stumps, Kaushik had batted through 84 overs, providing the foundation for Rinku’s more aggressive innings, leaving Bihar’s bowlers visibly fatigued. It was an important innings for Kaushik, who hit a career-best 163 in the 2024-25 Ranji season.

Rinku’s innings (109 - 164b, 8x4, 3x6) gave UP momentum in the final two sessions. He reached his half-century off just 65 balls. He then accelerated intelligently, attacking the loose deliveries without abandoning the patience needed.

For a batter widely known for his finishing ability in white-ball cricket, Rinku’s innings underlined his growing authority in the longer format. He came into the match with a first-class record of 3,757 runs (avg 58.70, 9x100, 23x50s).

Bihar bowlers did have their moments in the first session. Kashyap was the pick of the attack, taking 2/44 from 27 overs, removing Juyal and Karan Sharma.

Bihar also conceded 15 extras, including nine no balls, which eased pressure on UP at key moments. As the partnership grew, the home side’s attack struggled to maintain consistency, allowing both centurions to rotate strike and punish errors.

The unbroken 202-run stand was the defining feature of the day. It has laid a platform to push towards a substantial first innings total on Day two. With Aaradhya Yadav, Zeeshan Ansari, Kartik Yadav, Yash Dayal, Abhinandan Singh and Kartik Tyagi to come, UP have the batting depth.