Ranji Trophy 2023-24: Mumbai takes big first-innings lead against Bengal despite Majumdar’s unbeaten ton

Mumbai put up a healthy first-innings total of 412 before finishing Bengal’s first essay at 199 on the last ball of the second day of the Ranji Trophy Group B game in Kolkata.

Bengal batter Anustup Majumdar celebrates his century during the 2nd day of Ranji Trophy match against Mumbai, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday. | Photo Credit: PTI

Suraj Jaiswal added three scalps to finish with a deserving six-wicket haul. Abishek Porel completed a rare five-catch haul for a wicketkeeper. And Anustup Majumdar, three months shy of turning 40, notched up his 16th First Class hundred.

Despite all these individual accolades, the rest of the Bengal outfit staged a meek surrender as an all-round team effort by Mumbai at the Eden Gardens meant Shivam Dube’s side was in firm control of the Group B game at the halfway stage.

Thanks to a last-wicket partnership of 65 runs between Dhawal Kulkarni and Royston Dias, Mumbai finished its first essay at 412 in the morning session. And the extended day’s play to make up for the lost time on the opening day saw Bengal’s first innings folding up off the last ball of the day for a paltry 199.

With a sizeable lead of 213 runs and having made earning bonus points a habit in the first half of the Ranji Trophy group stage phase, it will not be a surprise if Mumbai imposes follow-on on Sunday morning in a bid to seal its place in the quarterfinals.

Bengal had an ideal start to the day, picking three for 17 in the first half hour, with Jaiswal completing a fifer after forcing Tanush Kotian and Mohit Avasthi to play the ball on to their stump. In came last man Dias and the bespectacled left-hander played a fearless knock to shatter Bengal’s hopes.

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With veteran Dhawal Kulkarni holding on to an end, Dias was helped by edges that raced to the fence on either side of Porel. In between, he timed a few so sweetly that it astonished even the top-order Mumbai batters who cheered him from the dressing room. He was helped by butter fingers of the Bengal fielders who dropped two regulation catches at long-off.

The morning that had turned bad from good finished off on a worse note for Bengal as Mumbai picked three quick wickets before lunch. At 11 for three, veterans Majumdar and captain Manoj Tiwary had too much on their platter to claw their side into the game. The duo was in control for well over an hour. Soon after Tiwary stretched his hamstring while attempting a quick single, he was drawn forward by Dube into an erroneous drive to Prithvi Shaw in the slip cordon.

Then on, Majumdar had to wage a lone battle as Mumbai kept on striking at regular intervals.

SCOREBOARD

Mumbai – 1st innings: Prithvi Shaw c Abishek b Jaiswal 35, Bhupen Lalwani lbw b Mishra 18, Hardik Tamore c Abishek b Jaiwal 19, Prasad Pawar c Abishek b Ishan 9, Suryansh Shedge c Lal b Jaiswal 71, Shivam Dube c Jaiswal b Kaif 72, Tanush Kotian b Jaiswal 67, Atharva Ankolekar c Abishek b Kaif 46, Mohit Avasthi b Jaiswal 0, Dhawal Kulkarni c Abishek b Jaiswal 14, Royston Dias (not out) 46.

Extras (b-5, lb-9, w-1): 15

Total (All out, 94.3 overs): 412

Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-58, 3-87, 4-87, 5-231, 6-231, 7-345, 8-346, 9-347.

Bengal bowling: Jaiswal 32.3-9-124-6, Ishan 21-3-91-1, Mishra 14-1-64-1, Kaif 21-6-67-2, Tiwary 2-0-17-0, Lal 4-0-35-0.

Bengal – 1st innings: Sourav Paul c Tamore b Avasthi 0, Shreyansh Ghosh (run out) 5, Sudip Kumar Gharami b Avasthi 6, Anustup Majumdar (not out) 108, Manoj Tiwary c Shaw b Dube 36, Abishek Porel c Shedge b Kulkarni 13, Karan Lal c sub (Bista) b Dias 14, Suraj Jaiswal c sub (Bista) b Dias 4, Mohammad Kaif b Dube 8, Ishan Porel lbw b Avasthi 1, Ankit Mishra c Shedge b Kotian 0.

Extras (b-4): 4

Total (All out, 56 overs) 199

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-11, 3-11, 4-89, 5-124, 6-150, 7-154, 8-179, 9-198.

Mumbai bowling: Kulkarni 13-4-28-1, Avasthi 15-1-63-3, Dias 13-1-58-2, Dube 12-5-38-2, Kotian 2-0-5-1, Ankolekar 1-0-3-0.