Left-arm orthodox Pradipta Pramanik registered his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket as Bengal were well placed in their Ranji Trophy game against Nagaland at Sovima on Monday.

At stumps on Day 1 at the Nagaland Cricket Stadium, the hosts, after opting to bat first, were nine down for 166. Pramanik, in his first Ranji game this season and coming in place of pacer Ravi Kant Singh, was the wrecker-in-chief with his 5 for 43 off the 24 overs he bowled.

“There was nothing much on offer for the bowlers out there. But Pradipta was simply outstanding,” Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla said.

“We still have a long way to go though.”

Pramanik’s fellow left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed and pacer Ishan Porel were the other wicket-takers for Bengal. With the pitch likely to assist spinners more as the game progresses, Bengal have also included debutant and off-spinner all-rounder Karan Lal in the XI as a replacement for Sayan Sekhar Mondal.

For Nagaland, wicketkeeper Chetan Bist top-scored with 64 and was instrumental in taking the team total past 150. However, due to bad light and intense fog, only 62 overs were possible on the first day with stumps taken when it wasn’t even three in the afternoon.

Brief scores: Nagaland 166/9 (C. Bist 64; P. Pramanik 5/43) vs Bengal. At stumps, Day 1.