Senior India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar return to First-Class cricket in style with a sensational spell on Friday, collecting 5/25 on Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy match between Uttar Pradesh and Bengal in Kanpur.
Bhuvneshwar’s last red-ball appearance was in the Johannesburg Test against South Africa in January, 2018 and his destructive haul comes days before the five-match Test series between India and England gets underway in Hyderabad.
The 33-year-old’s outstanding figures, however, couldn’t prevent Bengal from gaining a 35-run lead at stumps on the opening day after the trio of Mohammed Kaif (4/14), Suraj Jaiswal (3/20) and Ishan Porel (2/24) helped bowl UP out for a paltry 60.
Opting to bowl on a green-top pitch after a delayed start, Uttar Pradesh’s first innings lasted just 20.5 overs in the opening session.India pacer Mohammed Shami’s younger brother Kaif was the star for Bengal, claiming 4/14 in his 5.5 overs.
But what unfolded thereafter was a Bhuvi show as the injury-prone India seamer marked his First-Class return by claiming 5/25 from 13 overs that included three maiden overs.
Watch:
.@BhuviOfficial on fire 🔥
A five-wicket haul and he’s taken all 5⃣ Bengal wickets to fall so far. What a splendid spell 👌👌@IDFCFIRSTBank | #RanjiTrophy | #UPvBEN
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/yRqgNJxmLY pic.twitter.com/Dqu0OgJMk0
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 12, 2024
Bhuvneshwar dismissed Sourav Paul (13) and Sudip Gharami (0) in the space of three balls. He then returned to take the wickets of Anustup Majumdar (12), captain Manoj Tiwary (3) and Abhishek Porel (12) in one spell en route to his 13th First-Class fifer.
With the India’s five-match home Test series against England on the horizon and doubts lingering over Shami’s return, it remains to be seen if the selectors are prompted to reconsider Bhuvneshwar after Friday’s show.
At stumps, Bengal were 95/5. Opener Sayan Ghosh, playing the lone vigil with a dogged 37 off 87 balls, was the last designated Bengal batter. He has Karan Lal in company, batting on 8.
With PTI inputs
Watch: Bhuvneshwar Kumar makes sensational red-ball return with 5/25 during UP-Bengal Ranji Trophy matchRead More
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