Bengal took their Ranji Trophy semi-final contest beyond Madhya Pradesh’s reach as they stretched their lead of 547 runs on the penultimate day of the five-day match at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Bengal were already in the driving seat having secured a 268-run first-innings lead on the third day of the game. On Saturday, Day IV, Bengal reached stumps with 279/9 on the board in their second innings.
Anustup Majumdar, who made a crucial 120 in the first innings, was once again the man with the golden touch for Bengal as he scored 80 in the second essay. At stumps, Pradipta Pramanik was batting on 60 with No.11 batter Ishan Porel on 1.
Though they have only one wicket left, Bengal will try their best to bat as long as possible on the final day of the game. They would surely want to keep their bowlers fresh before the summit clash, which begins on February 16.
Talking of the final, it seems it is once again going to be a Bengal-Saurashtra clash, a repeat of the 2019-20 title decider, which took place just before the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.
Saurashtra rode on captain Arpit Vasavada’s 202 to post 527 in their first innings to secure a 120-run lead over Karnataka in the other semi-final clash which is being played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
At stumps on Day IV, Karnataka were 123/4 in their second essay, leading by only three runs. Importantly for Saurashtra, they managed to dismiss the in-form Karnataka captain Mayank Agarwal (55), who was again looking dangerous.
Left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya struck twice for Saurashtra, while left-arm spinner Dharmendrasingh Jadeja accounted for the prized scalp of Agarwal.
If it does turn out to be a Bengal-Saurashtra final, it will be held at Eden Gardens since Manoj Tiwary’s team have earned more points than the 2019-20 champions in the group phase. The conditions at the Eden will of course be different to what they were in Rajkot when the two teams last met in a final.
Summarised scores
⚫ Bengal 438 & 279/9 (A. Majumdar 80; P. Pramanik 60 batting). Madhya Pradesh 170
⚫ Karnataka 407 & 123/4 (M. Agarwal 55; C. Sakariya 2/24). Saurashtra 527 (A. Vasavada 202). At stumps, Day IV.
