Anustup Majumdar came up with an unbeaten 137 to help Bengal avert a collapse and reach a respectable 335 for six against host Haryana, on the first day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group ‘A’ match at Chaudhary Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
A veteran of many battles, Anustup used his experience to good measure to thwart a determined Haryana attack on a challenging Lahli pitch, when most of his colleagues from the Bengal top-order faltered.
With the Bengal innings precariously poised at 109 for four at one stage, Anustup anchored his team’s recovery process by sharing two 90-plus partnerships for the fifth and sixth wickets. Anustup and debutant Suvankar Bal (30) added a vital 92 runs for the fifth wicket to take the team past the 200-run mark.
After Suvankar’s dismissal, Anustup paired with wicketkeeper Abishek Porel (49) to have a 95-run partnership for the sixth wicket and see the Bengal innings to safety (296 for six). Anustup continued to inspire Bengal’s recovery alongside Pradipta Pramanik (23 batting), adding 39 runs for the seventh wicket before the end of day’s action.
Anustup struck 14 boundaries in 193 balls to reach his unbeaten 137 as Bengal hoped to reach a big score in its first innings.
Earlier in the day, the Bengal top-order could not produce much seeing opener Karan Lal (20) departing early. Abhimanyu Easwaran (57) did show some good batting but his other colleagues like Sudip Gharami (10) and captain Manoj Tiwary (1) struggled against Haryana’s bowling attack.
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