After some early jitters where Tripura fumbled two crucial catches, offering lifelines to both Sudip Kumar Gharami and Shakir Habib Gandhi, the Bengal duo seized the opportunity with both hands. They converged mid-pitch, exchanged a determined fist bump, and proceeded to dominate all three sessions on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group-C encounter, making Tripura pay dearly for their errors.
At the Maharaja Bir Bikram Stadium, both Gharami and Shakir demonstrated exceptional batting prowess, each notching up unbeaten half-centuries. While the pitch certainly favored batsmen, their disciplined shot selection and ability to play through the line were commendable, allowing them to capitalize fully on the conditions.
Costly Errors in the Field
Gharami’s sole moment of indecision came in the 19th over when a delivery outside the fifth stump found the edge of his bat. To Bengal’s relief, Hrituraj Ghosh Roy grassed a straightforward catch at slip. Later, Bikram Kumar Das compounded Tripura’s misery by dropping Shakir when he was just on 47, making these missed opportunities even more impactful.
Tripura bowlers struggled to contain Bengal’s batters on the first day.
The day hadn’t started perfectly for Bengal, as opener Kazi Junaid Saifi was caught behind for a duck in the second over. An Abhijit Sarkar delivery that kept low cramped his style, leading to the dismissal. The left-hander, however, seemed visibly displeased with the umpire’s decision, hinting he might not have made contact with the ball.
The quiet afternoon was briefly interrupted in the 34th over when spectators, perhaps recovering from their “bhaat ghum” (post-lunch nap), mistook a bump ball for a spectacular catch by Vijay Shankar at cover. Gharami, unfazed by the momentary confusion, then calmly proceeded to register his 10th First-Class half-century six overs later, further frustrating the Tripura side.
Batting Becomes Effortless
As the sun blazed intensely during the second session, the pitch eased considerably, allowing Shakir to follow his partner’s lead and reach his own half-century with growing confidence.
Following the tea break, Shakir was poised to accelerate his scoring, eyeing a century before the day’s play concluded. However, dwindling light conditions ultimately brought an early end to his aspirations, and stumps were drawn.
Scoreboard – Bengal, 1st Innings:
Sudip Kumar Gharami (batting) 70
Kazi Junaid Saifi c Sentu b Abhijit 0
Shakir Habib Gandhi (batting) 82
Extras (b-12, lb-6, w-1): 19
Total (for one wicket in 60 overs): 171
Fall of Wickets: 1-4
Tripura Bowling:
Murasingh 16-5-30-0
Abhijit 13-3-38-1
Rana 13-3-47-0
Bikramjit 8-2-11-0
Swapnil 6-0-20-0
Vijay Shankar 3-1-4-0
Sridam 1-0-3-0
Toss: Tripura won the toss.