LUCKNOW, Oct. 19 -- Rinku Singh once again showed why he remains Uttar Pradesh's most dependable middle-order presence in red-ball cricket, batting with patience and composure to score a century and rescue his side against Goa on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match at Green Park Stadium, Kanpur.

Uttar Pradesh's decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired. The hosts lost Abhishek Goswami cheaply, and although Madhav Kaushik looked assured in making 45, wickets kept falling at regular intervals. From 33 for 3, Uttar Pradesh slipped further as Goa's bowlers maintained disciplined line and length, with off-spinner Yash Kasvankar emerging as the pick of the attack with five wickets.

The decision appeared even...