In a thrilling display of resilience on the penultimate day of their Ranji Trophy Group-C encounter at Eden Gardens, Prashant Chopra and captain Kunal Chandela notched up gritty half-centuries, giving Uttarakhand a strong fighting chance against Bengal.
Despite an early setback with the dismissal of opener Avneesh Sudha, caught in the slips by Akash Deep in the second over, the visitors rallied. They ended the day’s play at 165 for two in their second innings, now holding a crucial 55-run lead.
Earlier, Bengal, who had resumed their first innings at a comfortable 274 for six, managed to extend their total to 323, securing a first innings lead of 110 runs. This was largely due to valuable contributions from their lower order.
The morning session saw Sumanta Gupta depart without adding to his overnight score of 82. Pacer Devendra Bora was the star for Uttarakhand, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul to finish with impressive figures of six for 79.
On a pitch that demanded immense patience and unwavering discipline from both batsmen and bowlers, Prashant (82 runs off 163 balls, including 10 fours) and Chandela (an unbeaten 68 runs off 203 balls, featuring 8 fours) showcased excellent adaptability. Their crucial 146-run partnership became the bedrock of Uttarakhand’s resistance, thwarting Bengal’s aspirations for an early outright victory.
Chandela anchored one end masterfully, accumulating most of his runs through well-placed singles and finding the boundary primarily on the leg-side. Prashant, making his first-class debut for Uttarakhand after previously playing for Himachal, demonstrated a blend of elegant cuts and drives for his boundaries, all while focusing on keeping the scoreboard ticking over. His determined knock was eventually ended in the final hour when left-arm spinner Vishal Bhati trapped him plumb in front.
Bengal’s bowling attack, including the formidable Mohammed Shami and Akash, toiled hard throughout the day. Despite the slow nature of the pitch offering little assistance, Shami maintained excellent line and length across his 15 overs, delivered in four spells (including a five-over second spell), proving to be the most economical bowler for the home side.
The scores:
Uttarakhand — 1st innings: 213.
Bengal — 1st innings: Abhimanyu Easwaran c Chopra b Bora 0, Sudip Chatterjee c Suchith b Bora 98, Sudip Gharami c Chopra b Bora 15, Anustup Majumdar lbw b Bora 35, Abishek Porel c Janmejay b Avneesh 21, Sumanta Gupta b Bora 82, Vishal Bhati b Rajan 15, Suraj Jaiswal (not out) 20, Akash Deep c Avneesh b Bora 19, Mohammed Shami c Avneesh b Janmejay 10, Ishan Porel lbw b Suchith 0; Extras (b-1, lb-4, nb-1, w-2): 8; Total (in 108.5 overs): 323.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-20, 3-63, 4-98, 5-254, 6-274, 7-274, 8-294, 9-322.
Uttarakhand bowling: Bora 25-4-79-6, Rajan 16-1-60-1, Janmejay 15-2-42-1, Negi 21.4-4-52-0, Avneesh 12.2-0-33-1, Suchith 15.5-1-40-1, Dangwal 3-0-12-0.
Uttarakhand — 2nd innings: Avneesh Sudha c Chatterjee b Akash 1, Prashant Chopra lbw b Bhati 82, Kunal Chandela (batting) 68, Bhupen Lalwani (batting) 12; Extras (lb-1, w-1): 2; Total (for two wkts. in 67 overs): 165.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-147.
Bengal bowling: Shami 15-4-21-0, Akash 13-3-39-1, Ishan 12-2-39-0, Jaiswal 13-4-26-0, Bhati 14-1-39-1.