Nagpur, Jan 30 (NationPress) The reigning champions Vidarbha faced a significant hurdle in their quest for an outright victory to secure a knockout spot, as they were unable to establish a lead against Uttar Pradesh on day two of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A encounter at the VCA Stadium on Friday.

Half-centuries from Danish Malewar (80) and Nachiket Bhute (63) had propelled Vidarbha from a precarious position of 95/6, and their impressive 126-run partnership appeared to set the stage for a critical first-innings lead.

However, a devastating spell from Indian pacer Shivam Mavi, who recorded figures of 7/59, led to a dramatic collapse, with Vidarbha slipping from 221/6 to 237 all out, resulting in the scores being tied. At stumps, UP was 75/2 in their second innings, with skipper Aryan Juyal (35 not out) and Aaditya Sharma (25 not out) at the crease. With qualification hanging in the balance, Vidarbha's bowlers are set to encounter a formidable challenge to secure a decisive result.

Meanwhile, at the Nagaland Cricket Stadium in Sovima, Nagaland's first-innings total of 366 was anchored by Chetan Bist's remarkable 189. Andhra responded tenaciously, reaching 267/5 at stumps, still trailing by 99 runs.

CR Gnaneshwar remained unbeaten on 87, with contributions from Abhishek Reddy (51) and Karan Shinde (51). Skipper Ricky Bhui chipped in with 46 before being dismissed, while KV Sasikanth (31 not out) provided late resistance. For Nagaland, pacer Vino Zhimomi excelled with figures of 4-45.

At Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand held a slight advantage against Odisha, finishing day two at 244/6 in response to the visitors' 282. Opener Shikhar Mohan scored a brisk 80 off 91 balls, adorned with 14 fours and a six, while Kumar Kushagra (47) and skipper Virat Singh (32) added valuable runs, and Robin Minz was not out on 37 at stumps.

Earlier, Odisha added 41 runs to their overnight total before being dismissed, with Swastik Samal (79) and Govinda Poddar (64) being the primary contributors, while Saurabh Shekhar and Aditya Singh shared three wickets each for Jharkhand.

At the Salem Cricket Foundation Ground, Baroda's skipper Atit Sheth played a patient innings of 109, guiding his team to a total of 375 against Tamil Nadu. He received solid support from Sukirt Pandey (84) and Ninad Rathva (66). Tamil Nadu's spinners, Jeganathan Hemchudeshan (6-120) and R Sai Kishore (4-90), were among the wicket-takers.

In response, Tamil Nadu started strongly, reaching 118 without loss in 36 overs at stumps. Vimal Kumar was batting on 66, while Athish SR remained unbeaten on 42, setting the stage for an exciting day three with the hosts trailing by 257 runs.