At the end of the first day, Bengal skipper Manoj Tiwary had shared his apprehensions of chasing a winning target of 120-plus. On Tuesday, Baroda presented Bengal a target of 155, but the contest was won by Irfan Pathan's side as Tiwary's team fell 21 runs short. It was a hard-earned win for Baroda as the Ranji Trophy match at the Chaudhry Bansi Lal Stadium here finished in two days.
Tiwary had described the pitch as a surface with variable bounce. "Such is the track that I don't think any target above 120 can be chased. This is because there are grass patches at drivable length where if the ball lands on seam, batsmen are going for the drive and that's a mistake. There are damp patches with moisture and the ball is rearing up awkwardly. Life is difficult for batsmen," Tiwary had told PTI on Monday.
His fears came true on Tuesday despite his brave effort of 39. Resuming at 63 for three , Baroda was bowled out for 133, leaving Bengal with a reasonable chance to win provided the batsmen applied themselves on a tough pitch. A five-wicket haul by Mukesh Kumar rose Bengal’s hopes but disciplined bowling by Atit Sheth, Irfan and Babashafi Pathan gave Baroda its first win in six matches to take its tally to nine. Bengal’s points tally stood at 16 from five matches.
Comments
SHARE