EDEN GARDENS: Not less than 48 hours after returning from the gruelling tour to Australia, wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha slammed an unbeaten century to script Bengal’s stunning comeback against Jammu and Kashmir on the opening day of Group A Ranji Trophy match.
Having just returned from Australia on late Sunday night, Saha was quick to adjust to his home condition as his unbeaten 129 off 202 balls (18x4s, 1×6) took Bengal to 312 for seven at stumps from a precarious 68 for four at one stage after opting to bat at the Eden Gardens.
While a relaxed Saha led Bengal’s stunning comeback with his ninth first-class century, skipper Laxmi Ratan Shukla lent a fine support to the wicketkeeper with a defiant 72 from 123 balls (9x4s, 1×6) in a 144-run fifth wicket partnership.
In the morning, Jammu and Kashmir skipper Parvez Rasool (2/57) rattled the Bengal top-order with two wickets in successive deliveries when the off-spinner dismissed Arindam Das (30) and castled Sudip Chatterjee (0) with a doosra in his second over.
Later, Jammu and Kahsmir new ball bowler Ram Dayal (2/88) scalped the in-form duo of Abhimanyu Easwaran (21) and skipper Manoj Tiwary (9) as Bengal lost four wickets in 19 runs and looked in dire straits at 98 for four at the lunch break.
Bengal 1st Innings
Abhimanyu Easwaran b R Dayal 21
Arindam Das lbw b P Rasool 30
Sudip Chatterjee b P Rasool 0
Manoj Tiwary c B Singh b R Dayal 9
Wriddhiman Saha (wk) batting 129
Laxmi Shukla (c) b M Mudhasir 72
Shreevats Goswami b Waseem Raza 17
Saurasish Lahiri b A Aziz 17
Ashok Dinda batting 11
Extras 6
Total 312/7
Bowler J&K: Ram Dayal 19-2-88-2; Mohammed Mudhasir 20-3-64-1; Parvez Rasool 24-7-57-2; Waseem Raza Paray 15-4-56-1; Aamir Aziz 10-2-41-1; Adil Reshi 2-0-5-0.