Spinners brought Bengal back into the contest on the first day of their second Ranji match
Bengal fought their way back into the contest against Services on the opening day of their second Ranji Trophy match. After defeating Delhi in their opening game, Bengal suffered an early batting setback against Services. However, their spinners brought them back into the match. The Delhi wicket has been particularly challenging for batters.
XtraTime Newsdesk
Bengal fought their way back into the contest against Services on the opening day of their second Ranji Trophy match. After defeating Delhi in their opening game, Bengal suffered an early batting setback against Services. However, their spinners brought them back into the match. The Delhi wicket has been particularly challenging for batters.
Batting first, Bengal were bowled out for just 184 in 54 overs. Captain Abhimanyu Easwaran led the fight with an impressive 56, while Sudip Gharami contributed 38 runs. Suman Gupta added a fighting 28 towards the end of the innings.
Bengal were in a relatively comfortable position at 77 for one at one stage. However, the innings soon fell apart as wickets tumbled in quick succession, preventing them from posting a bigger total.
Bengal's spinners then turned the tide in their favour. By the end of the day's play, Services had lost five wickets for just 83 runs in 34 overs. Both left-arm spinner Pradipta Pramanik and Amir Gani picked up two wickets each, while Shahbaz Ahmed claimed one.
Bengal now hold a lead of 101 runs, putting them in a promising position despite their modest first-innings total.
One thing is already clear: this match is likely to produce a result rather than end in a draw. Even a lead of 40-50 runs could prove significant in these conditions, making the second day's play crucial for both sides.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami has been rested for this match.