Bowlers had again brought Bengal back in the contest after a 29-run first-innings deficit. But Rinku Singh (44 batting) and Akshdeep Nath (47 batting) helped Uttar Pradesh wrestle back the momentum in this Ranji Trophy opening-round clash at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.

At stumps on Day 2, Rinku and Nath’s unbroken, brisk 82-run stand for the fifth wicket propelled UP to 122 for 4 in their second essay, extending their overall lead to 151.

The lead is obviously not a daunting one, but the fluency with which Rinku and Akshdeep have batted so far and the pitch easing out, another 50 runs or more could well make matters tougher for Bengal. Particularly, after how they folded in their first innings.

Besides, Bengal may have to tweak their batting order in the second innings with keeper-batter Abishek Porel likely to move up the order in place of Anustup Majumdar, who hurt the area near his left thumb while fielding.

Former Kolkata Knight Riders quick Shivam Mavi (6/53) did a good job, consistently pitching the ball in the right areas. But Mavi and the other UP bowlers were helped a fair deal by the vulnerability of Bengal’s batting.

Also, the likes of Abishek (33) and Shahbaz Ahmed (21) threw their wickets away after being well set. It required some meaty blows from No.10 batter and top scorer Akash Deep (41) to enable Bengal to cross 150 and narrow down UP’s first-innings lead.

Mavi, though, was a little fortunate with the wicket of Manoj Tiwary as the ball seemed to be missing the stumps after hitting the Bengal stand-in captain high on the pad.

Ishan Porel, Akash and Pritam Chakraborty, thereafter, again rocked the visitors’ top order, reducing them to 40 for 4 in the second innings. But they couldn’t maintain the pressure on Rinku and Nath as the duo cashed in on anything ill-directed.

Brief scores: Uttar Pradesh 198 & 122/4 (A. Nath 47 batting; I. Porel 2/47). Bengal 169 (A. Deep 41; S. Mavi 6/55). At stumps, Day 2.