LUCKNOW, Oct. 20 -- Hosts and former joint winners Uttar Pradesh seized control on the opening day of their Under-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy Elite Group B clash against Andhra, at the B Ground of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Monday, bowling Andhra out for 181 and reaching 68/0 by stumps. At close, UP trailed by 113 runs with all ten wickets intact, giving them a firm platform to build a substantial first-innings lead. The day belonged chiefly to Vipraj Nigam and Aaquib Khan, whose disciplined bowling dismantled Andhra's batting order. Nigam, the experienced leg-spinning all-rounder, was outstanding with 4/ 47 from 20.2 overs at an economy of just 2.31. He removed Varun Satwik, Battina Yashwanth, G Sumith and Gavvala Mallikarjuna, repeatedly breaking partnerships just as Andhra appeared to be rebuilding. His six maidens reflected excellent control on a surface that rewarded patience and accurate spin. Nigam's performance carried particular significance given his growing reputation. A leg-break bowler and right-hand batter, he represents Uttar Pradesh domestically and Delhi Capitals in the IPL, and has already made an impact in senior cricket with wicket-taking spells across formats. In this under-23 match, however, he looked every bit the senior professional as varying his pace, attacking the stumps, and ensuring Andhra could never settle after early losses. Aaquib Khan provided the perfect new-ball complement. The right-arm medium pacer claimed 3/24 in 13 overs, conceding only 1.85 runs per over. He struck twice in the opening exchanges, dismissing TV Sai Sravan and Garimella Teja, before removing Siddu Karthik Reddy later in the innings. His ability to maintain pressure allowed Nigam and Prashant Veer to operate with attacking freedom at the other end. Khan has been part of Uttar Pradesh's domestic setup since 2019-20, and this spell underlined why he remains an important seam option for the state's age-group and senior teams. His three wickets came at crucial moments as after Andhra slipped to 11/2 , and again when Siddu Karthik Reddy threatened to extend the lower order's resistance. Adarsh Singh, listed in the UP side, was part of an attack that functioned as a cohesive unit even though the major wicket hauls went to Nigam and Khan. Prashant Veer chipped in with 1/26, while Vijay Kumar and Shubham Mishra took one wicket apiece. The collective discipline-five bowlers used, none conceding more than 4.22 an over-was central to restricting Andhra to 181 in 65.2 overs. Andhra's innings began disastrously when Haneesh Reddy fell for one in the second over. Munnangi Abhinav (22) and Varun Satwik (41) offered resistance, while wicketkeeper-batter Battina Yashwanth top-scored with 63 from 104 balls. But once Satwik fell at 120/6, Andhra lost their last five wickets for 61 runs, with Nigam and Khan closing the door. By stumps, UP's openers had negotiated 24 overs without damage. With Nigam and Khan already among the wickets, Uttar Pradesh will look to bat deep on Day 2 and convert their bowling dominance into a decisive lead....