Veteran skipper Anustup Majumdar led from the entrance with a gritty century, steering Bengal out of early hassle earlier than Karnataka staged a late comeback to go away Bengal at a uncomfortable 249/5 on the opening day of their Group C Ranji Trophy match right here on Wednesday. Karnataka’s new-ball bowler Vasuki Koushik struck early, eradicating Bengal opener Shuvam Dey for a three-ball duck, after which dismissed Sudip Gharami after a painstaking 45-ball-5, decreasing Bengal to 21 for two after opting to bat first. 40–year-old captain Anustup then steadied the innings, coming in at No. 4 and forming an important partnership with No. 3 Sudip Chatterjee, who scored a composed 50 off 120 balls.
Harking back to his century within the 2019-20 semifinal in opposition to Karnataka, Anustup showcased distinctive management, hitting 16 fours on his solution to a century off 157 balls — his first of the season.
The pair added 100 runs for the third wicket earlier than Koushik struck once more, dismissing Chatterjee en path to his spectacular figures of three/29.
Anustup remained unruffled, anchoring the innings with authority whereas Shahbaz Ahmed offered stable help.
Nevertheless, Anustup’s superb innings got here to an finish simply after his century, trapped lbw by Shreyas Gopal.
Avilin Ghosh performed a fast counter-attacking knock of 27 from 22 balls, smashing two sixes and a 4, earlier than debutant seamer Abhilash Shetty dismissed him late within the day.
Ghosh, seeking to drive away from his physique, edged to Mayank Agarwal at first slip, giving Shetty his maiden wicket.
At stumps, Shahbaz was unbeaten on 54 from 103 balls (6×4), alongside veteran keeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha, who was on 6 not out.
Jalaj’s historic double
Home stalwart Jalaj Saxena grew to become the primary participant in Ranji Trophy historical past to attain the outstanding double of 400 wickets and 6000 runs, giving Kerala a bonus over Uttar Pradesh in Thumba.
The 37-year-old spin-bowling all-rounder, who surpassed the 6000-run mark with an 84 in opposition to Bengal final week, starred with the ball, claiming 5/56 in 17 overs to cross the 400-wicket milestone.
His efforts helped Kerala bundle out Uttar Pradesh for a modest 162 in 60.2 overs, with Basil Thampi offering help, taking 2/18.
In reply, Kerala reached 82/2 at stumps, trailing by 80 runs and seeking to construct on their sturdy begin.
Shubham, Venky sizzle
Captain Shubham Sharma notched up his second century of the season, whereas Venkatesh Iyer’s explosive ton put Madhya Pradesh firmly in command in opposition to Bihar in Patna.
After opting to bat, Madhya Pradesh obtained off to a gentle begin with contributions from openers Himanshu Mantri (41) and Rajat Patidar (45). Nevertheless, each fell in need of changing their begins, leaving Madhya Pradesh at 113/3.
Shubham then took cost, crafting an unbeaten 134 off 183 balls, laced with 11 fours and a six.
On the different finish, Iyer displayed his trademark aggression, smashing 118 not out off simply 113 balls, that includes 4 sixes and 11 fours, marking his second century on this format.
Their 234-run unbroken stand has positioned Madhya Pradesh in a dominant place going into the following day.
Punjab spinners fox Haryana
Rookie spin duo Emanjot Singh Chahal and Jass Inder Singh spun an online round Haryana, sharing seven wickets to bowl out the group leaders for a mere 114 in 50.5 overs in Rohtak.
In solely his second Ranji look, left-arm spinner Emanjot took 3/43, whereas debutant off-spinner Jass Inder starred with figures of 4/33.
Leg-spinner Mayank Markande additionally chipped in with 2/3 from 3.5 overs, as Punjab’s spinners saved Haryana’s batters beneath fixed stress.
In reply, Punjab reached 90/5 at stumps, due to Anmolpreet Singh’s gritty 45 not out from 69 balls, trailing Haryana by 24 runs heading into the following day.
Transient Scores
In Bengaluru: Bengal 249/5; 78 overs (Anustup Majumdar 101, Sudip Chatterjee 55, Shahbaz Ahmed 54 batting; Vauski Kaushik 3/29) vs Karnataka.
In Thumba: Uttar Pradesh 162; 60.2 overs (Shivam Sharma 30; Jalaj Saxena 5/56). Kerala 82/2; 23 overs (Baba Aparajith 21 batting).
In Patna: Madhya Pradesh 381/4; 88 overs (Shubham Sharma 134 batting, Venkatesh Iyer 118 batting, Rajat Patidar 45) vs Bihar
In Rohtak: Haryana 114; 50.5 overs (Dheeru Singh 34; Jass Inder Singh 4/33, Emanjot Singh Chahal 3/43). Punjab 90/5; 37 overs (Anmolpreet Singh 45 batting; Jayant Yadav 2/33, Nishant Sidhu 2/21).
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