Bengal are optimistic about the availability of both Anustup Majumdar and Akash Deep for their Ranji Trophy quarter-final clash against Jharkhand beginning at Eden Gardens on Tuesday.

Owing to Anustup’s left thumb injury, Bengal couldn’t avail his services with the bat in their final group-phase game versus Odisha, which they lost by seven wickets at the Eden.

Pacer Akash too could bowl only six overs after suffering a concussion.

However, both players are better now and should be fit to feature in the last-eight clash.

Agreed, the duo’s indisposition was one big cause of Bengal’s loss to Odisha. But that doesn’t hide the chinks in the team’s batting.

Though it has been a smooth ride to the quarter finals, the opening slot continues to be Bengal’s concern. And in order to address it, Kazi Junaid Saifi, who has scored consistently in the U-25 matches, has been included and is set to open alongside Abhimanyu Easwaran.

It was against Jharkhand in the quarters last season when Bengal registered a first-class record with their first nine batters scoring 50- plus each. But conditions at the Eden will be vastly different from that of last year’s venue (Just Cricket Academy ground in Bangalore) where Bengal broke the 129-year-old record.