The win gave Bengal seven points from the game, including a bonus point for the innings victory. In Elite Group B, Bengal now have 18 points behind Mumbai and Andhra Pradesh.
Kolkata: India pacer Mukesh Kumar returned with an impressive match haul of 10 for 50 while Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal too shone bright with the ball to power Bengal to a massive innings and 204 runs win over Bihar in a Ranji Trophy Group B match on Sunday. Resuming their second innings at 32 for 1, Bihar crumbled like pack of cards in front of Mukesh (6/32) and Jaiswal (4/34) to be bundled out for 112. Mukesh (4/18) and Jaiswal (4/47) had earlier picked up four wickets each to bundle our Bihar for 95 in their first innings.
In reply, Bengal piled up a mammoth score of 411 for 5 declared, riding on Abhimanyu Easwaran’s unbeaten 200 and Abhishek Porel’s 56. Bihar were never in the game in the second innings as they found the pair of Mukesh and Jaiswal hard to tackle from the word go. Sakibul Gani top-scored for Bihar with a 25-ball 28. The win gave Bengal seven points from the game, including a bonus point for the innings victory.
In another Group B match in Lucknow, Chhattishgarh find themselves in a strong position, having taken the all-important first innings lead against Uttar Pradesh. Resuming at the overnight score of 124 for 5, Uttar Pradesh were bowled out for 238 in 67.5 overs in reply to Chhattishgarh’s 414. Saurabh Kumar (55), Yash Dayal (55) and skipper Nitish Rana (54) scored half-centuries for Uttar Pradesh.
Ravi Kiran (3/59) and Jivesh Butte (3/66) shared six wickets between them, while Ashish Chouhan (2/62) scalped two. At stumps on the third day’s play, Chhattisgarh reached 124 for 5 in 37 overs, extending their overall lead to 300 runs. Ashutosh Singh (43) and Shashank Chandrakar (42) were the main contributors with the bat. For Uttar Pradesh, Sivam Sharma (3/14) scalped three wickets.
Brief Scores: At Kolkata: Bihar 95 & 112 all out in 35.1 overs (Sakibul Gani 28; Mukesh Kumar 6/32, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal 4/34) vs Bengal 411 for 5 decl in 104.1 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 200 not out, Abhishek Porel 56; Ashutosh Aman 2/64) lost by an innings and 204 runs.
At Lucknow: Chhattisgarh 414 & 124 for 5 in 37 overs (Ashutosh Singh 43, Shashank Chandrakar 42; Shivam Sharma 3/14) vs Uttar Pradesh 238 all out in 67.5 overs (Saurabh Kumar 55, Yash Dayal 55, Nitish Rana 54; Ravi Kiran 3/59, Jivesh Butte 3/66).
At Vizianagaram: Andhra 272 & 19 for 1 in 7 overs vs Kerala 514 for 7 decl (Akshay Chandran 184, Sachin Baby 113; Manish Golamru 4/161).