Ranji Trophy 2023-24: Tiwary, Jaiswal keep Bengal in driving seat against Assam
Manoj Tiwary, beginning from 68, batted patiently to achieve his 30th hundred while Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal hit a half-century and took three wickets to push Assam on the backfoot.
Published : Jan 27, 2024 18:47 IST , GUWAHATI - 2 MINS READ
Manoj Tiwary on his way to his century against Assam in the Ranji Trophy in Guwahati on Saturday. | Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar / The Hindu
Captain Manoj Tiwary’s century and Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal’s superb all-round performance put Bengal in the driving seat against Assam on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Group-B match at the ACA Stadium, Barsapara, here on Saturday.
Resuming from 242 for four, Bengal scored a healthy 405 in its first innings. In reply, Assam tottered at 99 for eight at stumps.
Overnight batters Anustup Majumdar and Tiwary gathered 211 runs before the former fell to Mrinmoy Dutta. Last match’s centurion Abishek Porel departed soon.
Tiwary, beginning from 68, batted patiently to achieve his 30th hundred (100, 264b, 9x4) and formed a 37-run partnership with Karan Lal before being dismissed by medium pacer Akash Sengupta.
Lal (52, 113b, 8x4) and Jaiswal (52, 75b, 4x4, 2x6) combined again for another fruitful stand of 74 runs.
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Assam seamer Mukhtar Hussain captured two more wickets to return figures of four for 86.
Bengal’s new ball bowlers, Mohammed Kaif and Jaiswal, bowled a good line to reduce Assam to four for 35 by the 10th over. Jaiswal underlined his utility to secure three of the four, all of them being caught behind.
Without batting mainstay and captain Riyan Parag, who got injured while fielding on Friday and did not come out to bat, Denish Das (50, 51b, 8x4) showed some aggression to get a quick-fire fifty. But left-arm spinner Ankit Mishra bowled him out.
Saahil Jain fought a lone battle to remain unbeaten on 36.
Kaif, who had removed opener Rahul Hazarika in his first spell, also claimed two lower-order batters to be among the wickets after a forgettable outing against Chhattisgarh.
Sitting pretty, Bengal remained hopeful of securing its first outright win.