Bengal vs Saurashtra HIGHLIGHTS Ranji Trophy Final, Day 1: SAU 81/2, trails BEN by 93

Saurashtra 81/2 in 17 overs vs Bengal - 174 all out; Saurashtra trails by 93 runs

Four runs come from the last over as Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy 2022/23 final goes the visitor’s way. Saurashtra is holding a strong grip on this game after the day’s play. 89 runs come from the last session..

Mukesh strikes for Bengal! He removes Vishvaraj, who was batting on 25. An unplayable ball, a perfect seam position that shapes out quite late to get an outside edge which Abhishek Porel catches behind the wicket. Second down for Saurashtra. Chetan Sakariya comes in at number four as a night watchman. Mukesh to Sakariya, miss! What a ball! The ball cuts through Sakariya to go past between his hands and runs down for a boundary for four bye runs. Sakariya was clueless, and so was the keeper, who misses the ball.

Vishvaraj Jadeja c Abishek Porel b Mukesh Kumar 25(36)

Bengal bowlers fail to contain the flow of runs as Saurashtra batters are scoring runs at a healthy rate. Harvik Desai has scored 30 out of his 37 from boundaries. This is a match-defining start from Saurashtra.

Tiwary brings in Shahbaz Ahmed in the hope to slow things down for Bengal. He gives two singles off his first over.

Second change in the bowling, Ishan Porel replaces Mukesh Kumar. Porel to Jadeja, FOUR! He bowls short and wide outside off-stumps and Jadeja pounces on it to register a four at deep extra cover. Porel to Jadeja, FOUR! This time Porel bowls full and straight which drifts in for Jadeja. He shuffles to glance it past backward square leg for the second boundary of the over. With this, Saurashtra crosses the 50-run mark inside 10 overs. Porel to Desai, FOUR! Third four of the over as Jadeja drives it over cover off the backfoot. 12 comes from the over.

Akash Deep looks dangerous now as he bowls a beautiful sharp inswinger which gets an outside edge. However, it did not carry through to the keeper. Brilliant effort from the keeper Porel though. Two runs off this over.

Mukesh Kumar to Jadeja, FOUR! He gets off the mark with a stylish cover drive in the last delivery of the eighth over.

Akash Deep bowls from the other end, and he has done the trick for Bengal! this is a brilliant play and good awareness from Manoj Tiwary, who brought Ghatak in the initial spell just to change the ends between Mukesh and Akash which suits the latter. Gohil tries to leave the short ball but the ball crashes into the stumps to give Bengal the much-needed breakthrough. In comes, Vishvaraj Jadeja at number three. He carefully plays the rest of the over to counter the rhythm which Akash Deep got after the change of ends.

Jay Gohil b Akash Deep 6(10)

Mukesh replaces Akash Deep from the other end. So the change of end for the pacers here. Evident approach from captain Tiwary as Akash Deep looked uncomfortable from the other end. Mukesh starts with an outswinger, dot delivery to start. Mukesh to Desai, SIX! bad line from Mukesh, going down the line and Desai clips it past backward square leg for a maximum. Mukesh to Desai, FOUR! Same line, going down the leg and this time Desai uses his wrist to flick it past deep square leg. Another expensive over, 10 runs came from it.

First change in bowling. Akash Ghatak replaces Mukesh Kumar. Gohil takes a single off the first ball. Ghatak to Desai, FOUR! Slams it for a boundary as the ball races past the cover-point region. Ghatak to Desai, FOUR! Make it two on two for Desai, same ball, same treatment, same result. 10 runs off this over.

Akash Deep still struggling to find his rhythm as he bowls the third no-ball of his spell. Two runs off the over. This is a positive start for Saurashtra.

Mukesh starts with three dot balls. Mukesh to Desai, FOUR! Error in line, the ball swings away from the batter and Desai takes his stride forward to slam it for a boundary.

Akash Deep bowls from the other end. He starts with a short-length ball which shapes out for a right-hander and Desai times it perfectly to register the first boundary of the innings. Cracking shot to start the over. A huge no-ball as Akash will look to restart again. Two dot balls follow but Akash bowls another no-ball. Akash is struggling to get his rhythm. Akash to Gohil, FOUR! Way outside off stumps, Gohil slices hard as the ball went past the slip cordon for a boundary. He gets off the mark with a boundary. 11 came from the over.

Mukesh starts with an inswinger, Desai defeds it confidently. He follows it with a good length ball, outside off and this time Desai leaves it. A testing over from Mukesh Kumar but Desai carefully negotiates it to take a single off the last ball to get off the mark.

Jay Gohil and Harvik Desai starts for Saurashtra and Mukesh Kumar will have the new ball in hand for Bengal.

Unadkat replaces Jadeja. Unadkat to Mukesh, OUT! he straightaway finishes off the Bengal innings with a wicket. He bowls with an angle that comes in for the batter and Mukesh fails to defend it as the leading edge goes straight to the bowler. With this Bengal’s first innings wraps on 174!

Mukesh Kumar c and b Unadkat 1(6)

Abhishek Porel, the last batter for Bengal takes a single off the third delivery to complete his hard-fought fifty! A 97-ball 50 for the wicketkeeper batter! Mukesh takes a single to get off the mark. Jani to Porel, OUT! He removes Porel on 50. Again beautiful seam, pitched up and Porel tries to drive without any footwork and the ball nicks past the bat to Prerak Mankad at slips.

Dharmendrasihn Jadeja bowls from the other end. Porel starts the over with a single as Akash Deep takes the strike. Jadeja to Akash Deep. OUT! Jadeja picks his 299th FC wicket. Bowls a short ball and Akash tries to hit it past the inner circle but Unadkat takes an easy catch at mid-on to send Akash back. Mukesh Kumar walks in.

Akash Deep c Unadkat b Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 4(6)

Jani starts with a bouncer, Porel pulls it for a single to start. Jani to Akash, FOUR! what a way to get off the mark. Banged in straight away, picks the length and register is over long on for a boundary. Akash carefully negotiates the last three deliveries to end the first over after tea.

Set batter Shahbaz Ahmed departs just before tea and Akash Deep walks in alongside Abhishek Porel to face Chirag Jani, who starts the proceeding for Saurashtra.

Dharmendrasinh to Porel, OUT! Given. Jadeja has trapped Porel in front but the batter instantly goes up for a review. The replays suggest the ball is trudging close to the gloves but has seemingly hit the forearm as Porel attempted a sweep. Well, well, the third-umpire has overturned the decision! A faint edge pops up on the UltraEdge as the ball moves past the bat. Porel rubs salt to the wounds by driving the ball beautifully down the ground for FOUR. Dharmendrasinh to Shahbaz, OUT! The umpire raises the finger as the ball pops up to short leg. Shahbaz reviews instantly even as Jadeja raises his arms in celebration. A spike on the UltraEdge and Jadeja gets his man this time, right on the stroke of Tea.

Shahbaz 69(112) ct Vishvarajsinh Jadeja b D A Jadeja

Porel and Shahbaz pick the gaps and continue to run hard to convert ones into twos. Runs flowing freely at the moment. Fraction short from Jani and Shahbaz slaps it through cover for two runs.

Chance! Shahbaz Ahmed steps out on his 100th delivery and gets a thick outside-edge off Dharmendrasinh Jadeja over first-slip for FOUR.

Fuller delivery from Jani and Porel leans into an elegant cover drive for FOUR. The partnership continues to grow in confidence.

Dharmendrasinh Jadeja drops short and Abhishek Porel rocks back and slams the ball through cover for FOUR.

Shahbaz Ahmed has been stranded on 49 for 18 balls now. He finally gets to his FIFTY with a wristy flick off Prerak and finds a FOUR through mid-wicket. Back in his element now, Shahbaz follows up with a cracking straight drive.

Y.B. Sarangi: Second drinks break. Shahbaz Ahmed (49) and Abishek Porel (26) have scripted a bit of revival. Bengal 124/6 in 40 overs. The Shahbaz-Porel stand is unbroken for 59 runs off 110 balls

Loud shout as Mankad slides the ball into Shahbaz’s pads from around the wicket. The umpire is unmoved and Saurashtra surprisingly decides against the review. Seemed like the ball was crashing onto the middle stump. THREE REDS on replays! Big miss there for Saurashtra.

Unadkat continues to attack the stumps. Shahbaz maintains his rock-solid defence to counter the length. Beaten! A clever leg-cutter from Unadkat squares up Shahbaz. The ball whiffs past the inside-half of the blade.

Room from Unadkat and Shahbaz guides the ball to the third-man fence for FOUR. 100 up for Bengal! Unadkat tightens his line and five runs come off the over.

Captain Unadkat bowls from the other end. Stars with a middle-stump line ball, confidently blocked by Porel. This time he bowls in the fourth stump line and lures Porel to play his shot resulting in an edge which goes past the fielders at slip for a boundary. Abhishek takes charge and hits Unadkat for two more fours in the over to take 12 off it.

Prerak Mankad starts the proceedings for Saurashtra after lunch. A solid start from him as one run comes off this over.

Shahbaz Ahmed and Abhishek Porel come out to face the Saurashtra pace quartet.

In last two overs before lunch, Shahbaz survived despite edging Prerak Mankad to second slip. Catch was not clean. Umpires’ review gave the batter not out. Next over, Porel survived a caught behind appeal off Unadkat. DRS did not help Saurashtra.

The session went Saurashtra’s way with six wickets coming in just 28 overs against Bengal. The batters struggled to face the pace attack of Saurashtra as Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya, and Chirag Jani dismantled the top order. Only 78 runs came at 2.79 runs per over.

Lunch, day 1, Bengal 78/6 in 28 overs. Shahbaz Ahmed batting 26, Abishek Porel batting 5, Chetan Sakariya 3/28 Jaydev Unadkat 2/26, Chirag Jani 1/11

Prerak Mankad to Ahmed, loud appeal for caught out! Ahmed tries to drive on an uppish length ball aimed at the middle line, but the ball takes an edge and the fielder makes an outstanding catch at second slips. The soft signal is not-out, the on-field umpire refers it to the third umpire. The decision stands because there was no conclusive evidence to overturn it in the replay.

Two back-to-back maiden overs for Saurashtra before Shahbaz Ahmed hits Mankad for two boundaries in succession in the 25th over. Porel and Ahmed are Bengal’s last recognised batting pair, and both will strive to keep their wickets until lunch.

Sakariya strikes again! He deceives Ghatak with a short ball. Precise execution from the bowler to target the helmet as Ghatak attempts to pull, and gives Unadkat an easy catch. Bengal six down! Abhishek Porel comes in at number eight.

Akash Ghatak c Unadkat b Chetan Sakariya 17(48)

Quick runs coming for Bengal. This time Ghatak drives the fuller ball over covers for a four. A boundary off Unadkat’s eighth over.

Unadkat bowls his seventh over. He starts with a full-length ball onto the pads, an error in line from him as Shahbaz Ahmed punishes it for a boundary to get off the mark with a FOUR! More runs are on the way as the ball travels past the gully for a couple of runs. Unadkat to Ahmed, FOUR! the second boundary of the over as Ahmed clips the yorker which runs to the boundary in between the fine leg and long leg. Ahmed glances the following ball to the mid-wicket for a single but an overthrow gifts them two more as Bengal crosses the 50-run mark in the 16th over.

Chirag starts with five dot balls. Jani to Ghatak, FOUR! Ghatak guides the fuller-length ball to deep mid-wicket for a boundary to end the over.

Jani to Majumdar, OUT! Edged and taken by Harvik! A gentle outswinger outside the off-stump and Anustup Majumdar hangs his bat away from his body. Excellent seam position pointing towards gully and the ball clips the outside-edge on the way to the keeper. Bengal has lost half its men.

Anustup Majumdar 16(35) ct H Desai b Chirag Jani

Y.B. Sarangi: At the first drinks break, half of the Bengal batters are back in the hut. 34/5 in 13 overs.

After four early wickets, the semifinal centurion, Anustup Majumdar and Akash Ghatak look to rebuild for Bengal against the potent bowling attack of Saurashtra.

An occasional boundary or a DRS decision in favour of the batter are greeted by the few hundred spectators enthusiastically with the blowing of a conch.

Unadkat to Tiwary, OUT! Make it four for Saurashtra. He targets the fourth-stump line and keeps the length a bit short and Tiwary tries to play away from the body but hands the outside edge to Vishvaraj Jadeja at gully. In comes Akash Ghatak at number six.

Manoj Tiwary c Vishvaraj Jadeja b Unadkat 7(12)

A tight over from Sakariya. Three runs off this over.

Jaydev Unadkat continues. He starts with a bouncer, and Majumdar ducks to leave the ball. A lucky boundary for Majumdar on the third ball off the pads. It follows with another four, this time Unadkat bowls a short ball, and Majumdar hits it very late as the ball races away to the third man to give Bengal a second boundary.

Chetan Sakariya to bowl from the other end. He starts his spell with a full-length ball outside off and Gupta leaves it. Sakariya to Gupta, OUT! SECOND WICKET GONE! Movement in the air does the trick this time as Gupta tries to counter the ball but instead gives an outside edge which Sheldon Jackson catches at slips. Experienced Anustup Majumdar comes in at number four. Sakariya tries to target the leg stumps, but Majumdar takes a single after the ball hits the pads. Sakariya to Gharami, OUT! This is a dream start for Saurashtra. He bowls an inswinger which goes through the gates and leaves Bengal stranded on three down. Gharami departs for none, and captain Manoj Tirway walks out to join Majumdar in the middle.

Sumanta Gupta c Jackson b Chetan Sakariya 1(3); Gharami b Chetan Sakariya 0(2)

Sumanta leans forward to block a gentle inswinger from Unadkat and gets off the mark straightaway. Minimal movement on offer. Unadkat rushes one high onto Easwaran’s pads as the ball slides down leg. Unadkat to Easwaran, OUT! GONE! A little bit of extra bounce and Easwaran gets an inside-edge off his hips straight to short leg. Easwaran departs for a duck as Sudip Gharami walks in.

Easwaran 0(4) ct Jay Gohil b J Unadkat

32-year-old Sumanta Gupta walks out on his debut alongside Abhimanyu Easwaran.

Jaydev Unadkat takes the new ball. Four slips in place.

Most Runs

• Arpit Vasavada: 826 runs in 14 innings
• Harvik Desai: 560 runs in 14 innings
• Sheldon Jackson: 529 runs in 14 innings

Most Wickets

• Dharmendrasinh Jadeja: 41 wickets in 17 innings
• Yuvrajsinh Dodiya: 30 wickets in 12 innings
• Chetan Sakariya: 21 wickets in 13 innings

• R1: Assam v Saurashtra: Match Drawn (Saurashtra took first innings lead)
• R2: Saurashtra v Maharashtra: Match Drawn (Saurashtra took first innings lead)
• R3: Mumbai v Saurashtra: Saurashtra Won by 48 Runs
• R4: Saurashtra v Delhi: Saurashtra Won by an innings and 214 Runs
• R5: Hyderabad v Saurashtra: Saurashtra Won by an innings and 57 Runs
• R6: Saurashtra v Andhra: Andhra Won by 150 Runs
• R7: Tamil Nadu v Saurashtra: Tamil Nadu Won by 59 Runs
• QF: Saurashtra v Punjab: Saurashtra Won by 71 Runs
• SF: Karnataka v Saurashtra: Saurashtra Won by 4 Wickets

TOSS: Saurashtra wins the Toss and opts to field

Most runs

• Anustup Majumdar: 790 runs in 13 innings
• Sudip Gharami: 789 runs in 16 innings
• Abhimanyu Easwaran: 782 runs in 12 innings

Most wickets

• Akash Deep: 37 wickets in 16 innings
• Ishan Porel: 24 wickets in 17 innings
• Shahbaz Ahmed: 20 wickets in 13 innings

• R1: Bengal v UP - Bengal Won by 6 Wickets
• R2: Bengal v Himachal: Match Drawn (Bengal took first innings lead)
• R3: Nagaland v Bengal: Bengal Won by an innings and 161 Runs
• R4: Uttarakhand v Bengal: Match Drawn (Bengal took first innings lead)
• R5: Bengal v Baroda: Bengal Won by 7 Wickets
• R6: Haryana v Bengal: Bengal Won by an innings and 50 Runs
• R7: Bengal v Odisha: Odisha Won by 7 Wickets
• QF: Bengal v Jharkhand: Bengal Won by 9 Wickets
• SF: Madhya Pradesh v Bengal: Bengal Won by 306 Runs

Bengal captain and sports minister Manoj Tiwary has stretched himself the extra yard and is keen to have a fairytale final by lifting the coveted Ranji Trophy at the iconic Eden Gardens.

The historic venue that has produced some of Indian cricket’s iconic matches last hosted a Ranji Trophy final in 1990 where the host emerge as champion.

Jaydev Unadkat, who led Saurashtra to beat Bengal at Rajkot three years ago for its maiden crown, is eager to replicate the feat of 2020 and got released from the Indian Test squad to boost his side in a repeat of the title clash, starting here on Thursday, at his ‘home away from home’.

As the two charismatic figures motivate their fellow team-mates, an air of anticipation has gripped the decked-up Eden Gardens.

The core has remained the same for both sides. While Bengal reached the semifinals last season and the final now, Saurashtra entered its second final in three seasons.

Bengal has scored heavily, thanks to the consistent showing of Anustup Majumdar, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sudip Gharami. Its bowlers, led by Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar and Ishan Porel, have been disciplined.

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Shahbaz Ahmed has been an asset. The all-rounder, who had fever on Tuesday, is available for selection. The hunt for opener Abhimanyu’s partner may bring in Sumanto Gupta.

Bengal batters faced four left-arm pacers at the nets to prepare for the challenge expected from Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya.

Tiwary, who has infused the pride of playing for Bengal in his team-mates, has avoided using the word ‘revenge’ in the dressing room to keep the adrenalin in check.

Noting that the Saurashtra tailenders survived too long to hurt Bengal three years ago, Tiwary does not want a repeat of that.

Saurashtra, holders of this year’s Vijay Hazare Trophy, has depth in batting, variety in bowling and ample self-confidence even without Test regulars Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja.

The team has pulled off some remarkable wins. Prolific scorers Arpit Vasavada, who led Saurashtra in some matches, Harvik Desai, Sheldon Jackson and all-rounder Chirag Jani have contributed significantly.

Even though spinners Dharmendra Jadeja and Yuvraj Dodiya have led Saurashtra’s bowling chart, the team has some quality seamers, including Unadkat, Sakariya and Jani.

The pacers from both teams will enjoy themselves on a green track.

Having played for Kolkata Knight Riders, Unadkat said he would make sure the pitch would be challenging for batters of both sides.

The Cricket Association of Bengal will open a few stands for the public to lift the ambience of the much-awaited contest.

- Y. B. Sarangi

The teams (from):

Bengal: Manoj Tiwary (captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Gharami, Anustup Majumdar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sumanto Gupta, Abishek Porel (wk), Pradipta Pramanik, Ishan Porel, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Kazi Junaid Saifi, Geet Puri, Pritam Chakraborty, Akash Ghatak, Subhankar Bol, Durgesh Dubey, Karan Lal, Ankit Mishra.

Saurashtra: Jaydev Unadkat (captain), Sheldon Jackson, Prerak Mankad, Chirag Jani, Samarth Vyas, Arpit Vasavada, Harvik Desai (wk), Chetan Sakariya, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Snell Patel, Yuvraj Dodiya, Parth Bhut, Navneet Vora, Devang Karamta, Kushang Patel, Vishwarajsinh Jadeja, Jay Gohil.