Ranji Trophy 2022: Record-breaking Bengal take control against Jharkhand

Jharkhand piled up 880 runs against Nagaland at the Eden Gardens, Bengal paid them back in the same coin putting up a huge 773 for seven declared in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final match at the Just Cricket Academy ground in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The Abhimanyu Easwaran-led side then took firm control of the match reducing Jharkhand to 139 for five, still trailing Bengal by 634 runs, at stumps on Day 3. It was a huge relief for the Bengal team management to see the side, which struggled to get big scores this season, create a first-class record of all nine batters scoring half-centuries in an innings as the Jharkhand bowlers were left looking for answers.

“We got to know about the record after the match and are delighted about the feat. We have batted well as a unit and want to continue this momentum,” all-rounder Sayan Sekhar Mondal said after the day’s play. The Bengal bowlers then replied strongly to send the top five Jharkhand batters back in the hut in a little less than two sessions of play.

Mondal drew first blood claiming opener Kumar Deobrat, Utkarsh Singh and Mohammed Nazim in his three successive overs. Shahbaz Ahmed then established Bengal’s grip firmly on the match by picking up Jharkhand’s most dependable batters – skipper Saurabh Tiwary and wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra in his successive overs. Virat Singh and Anukul Roy were holding fort, but the two had a mountain to climb to save this match.