Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s coverage of the Ranji Trophy 2022/23 final played between Bengal and Saurashtra at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
BEN 169/4 & 174 all-out VS SAU 404; BEN trails by 61 runs
Bengal has scored 95 runs in the last session giving only one wicket as the match is heading to a very interesting passage where one big partnership could change things for the hosts or one good hour with the ball will seal the deal for Saurashtra.
Tiwary has found an able partner in Shahbaz Ahmed here as both batters have stitched 23 runs together.
Fifty for skipper Tiwary to lead Bengal from the front. A crucial knock under pressure.
The stand between Majumdar and Tiwary breaks on 99 as Bengal looks in danger against Saurashtra. Jaydev Unadkat strikes this time to remove Anustup Majumdar on 61. Shahbaz Ahmed comes in at number six. A Majumdar c Vishvaraj Jadeja b Unadkat 61(101)
Parth Bhut floats the ball in and Tiwary employs a full-bloodied sweep through square-leg for FOUR and slips to land on his knees.
Fifty for Anustup Majumdar off 72 deliveries. A superb rearguard from the Bengal workhorse as he is greeted by loud cheers from the stands. Bengal’s run rate has shot up in the third session.
Anustup Majumdar and Tiwary find a flurry of boundaries after the break and the total quickly soars towards 100.
Prerak Mankad takes the ball after the break.
Bengal 74/3 in 26 overs. Trails by 156. Bengal’s stalwarts Manoj Tiwary and Anustup Majumdar lead the team to TEA. Bengal is just hanging by a thread as Saurashtra snatches another session.
Room from Dharmendrasinh Jadeja and Manoj Tiwary slaps it through cover for FOUR. Chirag Jani attempts to stop the ball near the fence but loses balance and tumbles down.
Unadkat to Gharami, OUT! Unadkat finds the outside edge and the ball falls to second slip. Comes around the wicket and hits the length hard. Gharami pushes hard at the ball and concedes the thick edge. Captain Manoj Tiwary walks in at 5. Sudip Kumar Gharami 14(39) ct Prerak Mankad b J Unadkat
Sakariya overpitches and Sudip leans into a cover drive for FOUR.
Sakariya to Easwaran, OUT! Finds the outside-edge and Harvik does the rest. A superb delivery from Sakariya lands on length on the leg-stump line and shapes away to stun Easwaran. Massive blow for Bengal as Anustup Majumdar walks in. A R Easwaran 16(21) ct H Desai b Chetan Sakariya
Unadkat and Sakariya have dried up the runs for Sudip Gharami and Abhimanyu Easwaran. The lines have been terrific, probing the batters on every delivery.
Early blow for Bengal as opener Sumanta Gupta departs for one, Gharami and Easwaran ensure Bengal retain nine wickets at lunch on day three.
Debutant Sumanta Gupta fails to make his mark in the game. He departs for one as Chetan Sakariya gets a wicket in his first over. Brilliant start for the visitors here. Sudip Gharami walks out to bat at number three. Sumanta Gupta c Prerak Mankad b Chetan Sakariya 1(8)
Bengal 5/1 in 2 overs & 174 all out vs Saurashtra 404 all out
Saurashtra 404 all out in first innings. Lead 230. Played two hours and six minutes to gather 87 for in 23 overs.
Y.B. Sarangi
Ishan Porel gets the final wicket as he wraps up the Saurashtra innings with the scalp of Dharmendrasinh Jadeja. He keeps the length short which angles in for Jadeja who gives the catch to Kazi at short leg. Saurashtra leads by 230 runs in the first innings.
Dharmendrasinh Jadeja c (sub)Kazi Saifi b Ishan Porel 29(38)
Bengal has dropped Parth Bhut twice in the last few overs resulting in letting Saurashtra cross 400. Dharmendrasinh Jadeja has hit five fours in his 29-run innings and the stand between Parth Bhut and him reaches 35 runs in just 40 deliveries.
The lead crosses the 200-run mark for Saurashtra with one wicket in hand.
Prerak Mankad departs for 33. Akash Deep bowls a short delivery and the ball shapes in for Mankad to nick gloves while attempting to leave the ball. The movement in the air and bounce off the deck help Akash Deep to get his third wicket. Saurashtra is nine down. Prerak Mankad c Abishek Porel b Akash Deep 33(50)
Saurashtra 370/9 in 103 overs vs Bengal 174 all out
Akash Deep strikes for Bengal. Unadkat falls after scoring only four runs. He bowls with the line close to the off-stump and Unadkat edges it, which Abhishek Porel conveniently catches behind the wicket. Eight down for Saurashtra as Bengal is sniffing an all-out soon. Parth Bhut joins Mankad at number 10. Unadkat c Abishek Porel b Akash Deep 4(9)
Saurashtra 362/8 in 101 overs vs Bengal 174 all out
Mukesh persists with the same line and finally gets another wicket. He removes Chirag Jani on 60. He holds the outside off-stump line and the ball shapes away for Jani who nicks it to the keeper for his wicket. Chirag Jani c Abishek Porel b Mukesh Kumar 60(123)
Saurashtra 343/7 in 96 overs vs Bengal 174 all out
Prerak Mankad charges on Akash Deep to hit him for three fours in one over. The lead goes past 150 as Saurashtra scores 19 runs in the last four overs. Bengal needs to make the most of the first hour otherwise Mankad and Jani are capable to take things away from Tiwary’s men.
A tough passage of play for Saurashtra batters as Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar is holding the tight lines to cramp the right-handers. Akash Deep appears to be in good rhythm today, as his run-up feels smoother, resulting in good bowling early in the first session. While Mukesh is utilising the new ball to trouble the batters with late movement in the air.
Mukesh to Vasavada, OUT! Mukesh Kumar strikes!! He takes the first wicket of the third day. A short-length ball, outside off stumps line and Vasavada clips it to the keeper. Vasavada departs after scoring 156-ball 81. Prerak Mankad comes in at number eight. Vasavada c Abishek Porel b Mukesh Kumar 81(156)
Saurashtra 318/6 in 88 overs vs Bengal 174 all out
Mukesh Kumar starts the proceedings for Bengal on day 3. Overnight batters, Chirag Jani and Arpit Vasavada walks out to bat.
Saurashtra - 317/5 in 87 overs vs Bengal 174 all out; Saurashtra leads by 143 runs.
BEN v SAU DAY 2 REVIEW
Saurashtra’s trusted middle order trio — Sheldon Jackson, Arpit Vasavada and Chirag Jani — and opener Harvik Desai struck magnificent half-centuries to put the away side in a commanding position against Bengal in the Ranji Trophy final at the Eden Gardens here on Friday.
Resuming from 81 for two, Saurashtra felt more at home at the Eden than Bengal to score 317 for five in the first innings and secure a substantial 143-run lead on the second day.
In the morning, overnight batters, Harvik and Chetan Sakariya, carried on resolutely even as the Bengal pacers found good areas to get some purchase.
Harvik (50, 79b, 8x4, 1x6) got his fifty before being trapped in front by Mukesh Kumar.
Nightwatchman Sakariya hung on despite receiving several blows and saw off the crucial first hour. Ishan Porel bowled a special delivery to get rid of the left-hander.
Jackson (59, 105b, 10x4) had scored a hundred and Vasavada (81 n.o., 155b, 11x4) a double hundred in the semifinals against Karnataka. When Saurashtra needed their service again, the experienced duo rose to the occasion and displayed exemplary resolve and application to add 95 important runs.
Jackson and Vasavada employed solid defence, left the good deliveries to the ‘keeper and punished the loose ones to exhibit their game awareness despite a slow scoring rate in the opening session.
As the conditions improved for batting, the two took their team past Bengal’s first innings aggregate of 174 in the middle period.
Jackson, who played some lovely drives on the offside, scored his half-century before pulling Ishan Porel to deep square-leg.
The left-handed Vasavada, who primarily cut and drove on the offside, concentrated hard to join hands with Jani (57 n.o., 100b, 10x4) to put Saurashtra in a position of strength.
While Jani – who was dropped on 25 by Shahbaz Ahmed at deep fine-leg while hooking Mukesh – middled the ball and found the gaps, driving straight and flicking off his legs, Vasavada was happy giving company to another right-hander.
The Vasavada-Jani combination formed an unbroken 113-run partnership as Saurashtra inflated its lead to three-figure mark.
Like his team-mates, Jani deservedly reached his half-century and received a round of applause from the cricket loving spectators in the final session, which started 20 minutes late due to bad light owing to overcast conditions.
The pressure of losing ground reflected on the drained Bengal bowlers’ wobbling performance. Sloppy fielding, 31 extras and imprudent use of DRS added to the host’s woes.
- Y. B. Sarangi
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