Abhimanyu Easwaran (170) smashed his fourth straight century while Sudip Gharami (104) got a back-to-back hundred, putting Bengal in the driving seat in their Ranji Trophy game against Nagaland at Sovima on Wednesday.

At stumps on Day 2, Easwaran and Gharami had powered Bengal to 336 for 4 after left-arm spinner Pradipta Pramanik (6/43) struck in the day’s fourth ball to end Nagaland’s first innings at 166.

Bengal, at present, have already taken a big lead of 170, having scored those runs in excess of four an over. However, the team management now needs to decide how much longer the first innings should continue, considering the insufficient light which is always a factor in the northeast.

Earlier, losing the other opener Koushik Ghosh with only 10 runs on the board, Easwaran, fresh from his consecutive away hundreds versus Bangladesh A, took little time to bring his ‘A’ game into play. Gharami, too, looked solid from the onset as the duo played strokes at will and rotated the strike really well in their 224-run stand for the second wicket.

Easwaran’s knock featured 16 boundaries and he got those runs at a healthy strike rate of 77.98. Gharami hit 11 fours and a maximum, scoring at a strike rate of 58.42.

Brief scores: Nagaland 166 (P. Pramanik 6/43). Bengal 336/4 (A. Easwaran 170, S. Gharami 104). At stumps, Day II.