Bengal maintained their position of strength on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match against Andhra at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
After posting a commendable 409 in the first innings, Bengal managed to snare three opposition wickets as well by the close of play on Day II.
Akash Deep, Mohammad Kaif and Pradipta Pramanik bagged a wicket each as Andhra reached 119/3 in the first innings at stumps on Saturday. The home team were therefore still 290 runs behind Bengal’s first innings total.
Resuming the day on their overnight score of 289/4, Bengal lost night-watchman Kaif early.
However, skipper Manoj Tiwary (32) and Abishek Porel (70) held fort to add some valuable runs to the board. After the dismissal of Manoj, Abishek partnered with Karan Lal (19) to help the team cross the 350-run mark.
Thanks to keeper-batter Abishek’s effort, Bengal crossed the 400 mark as well. Abishek was the last man dismissed.
For Andhra, Lalith Mohan was the pick of the bowlers with 4/134.
In reply, DB Prashanth Kumar (41) and CR Gnaneshwar (33) gave Andhra a fine start. But the Bengal bowlers struck thrice to keep the leash in their hands.
Brief scores: Bengal 409 (Sourav Paul 96, Anustup Majumdar 125, Abishek Porel 70; Lalith Mohan 4/134). Andhra 119/3 (Prasanth Kumar 41). At stumps, Day II.
Pujara ton
Cheteshwar Pujara, ignored for the two-Test series against South Africa, cracked an unbeaten century as defending champions Saurashtra reached 406/4 in their Group A match against Jharkhand in Rajkot.
Pujara was batting on 157 when the stumps were drawn.
Saurashtra had bundled out Jharkhand for a paltry 142 on the opening day.
Pujara found the gaps and occasionally punished the loose deliveries, consuming 239 deliveries for his unbeaten innings that was studded with 19 boundaries.
With inputs from PTI
