Indore: Middle-order batsman Sangram Atitkar hammered a listless Bengal attack into submission with an unbeaten 168 as Maharashtra took a mammoth first innings lead to set sights on an innings victory by stumps on the second day of Ranji Trophy semi-final here today.
After their batsmen were bowled out for a paltry 114 -- their lowest score in the current season, the Bengal bowlers fared no better as Maharashtra scored an imposing 455 in their first innings. This is incidentally is the highest score conceded by Ashoke Dinda and Co this season.
After taking a massive 341-run lead, Maharashtra bowlers came out all guns blazing as they reduced Bengal to 16 for one in the five overs.
Bengal batsmen need another 326 runs to avoid innings defeat which looks imminent at the moment after left-arm seamer Samad Fallah again dismissed opener Koushik Ghosh (9), as Arindam Das (7 batting) remained at the other end.
In a single match, Bengal have scored their lowest total and conceded their highest runs which is not a statistic that will please their fans. The Maharashtra batsmen led by Atitkar showed a lot of positive intent on the day as they took apart the Bengal bowling scoring their runs at a rate of above 3.5 runs per over which was fantastic by first-class standard.
After skipper Laxmi Ratan Shukla (3/76) dismissed his counterpart Rohit Motwani (8) with the team total reading 164 for five, Bengal bowlers suddenly lost grip of the match.
Atitkar, who smashed 29 boundaries in 228 balls joined forces with Ankit Bawne (89, 208 balls, 14x4, 1x6) as the duo slowly added 113 runs for the sixth wicket. With a lot of time at their disposal, they grinded the opposition into submission.
Dinda (3/114), who recently had threatened to quit Bengal for not getting a national call-up, looked one dimensional as he either bowled the fuller delivery or the short pitched stuff which was easily negotiated by the batsmen. With no distinct variations in his delivery, he was taken apart by Atitkar.
Inswing bowler Sourav Sarkar (2/105 in 27.3 overs) was almost ineffective after the ball became old as neither did he have pace to trouble the batsman nor variation.
Bawne was Dinda's third victim, caught by Sandipan Das but not before Maharashtra had stretched their lead to over 150. Akshay Darekar (10) didn't score too many but stayed alongside Atitkar, who attacked the Bengal bowlers with the duo putting up 51 runs in less than 14 overs.
Bengal bowlers failed miserably in cleaning up the tail as Anupam Sanklecha (52, 72 balls) blasted four sixes and an equal number of boundaries during a quickfire partnership of 103 runs with Atitkar, who had completed his fifth first-class century by that time.
Such was Shukla's helplessness that he had to use as many as eight bowlers including youngsters Abhimanyu Easwaran (0/27 in 3 overs) and Sandipan Das (0/16 in two overs) being taken apart for 43 runs in five overs.
With an uphill task of clearing the deficit, left-handed Ghosh got couple of boundaries before again edging one to Chirag Khurana in the slip cordon of the last delivery of the day. One can expect that Maharashtra will be able to finish off the match by tomorrow and reach their first final in 22 years.
Vinay effects Punjab collapse as hosts hit back at the fag end
Vinay effects Punjab collapse as hosts hit back at the fag end
Mohali: Hosts Punjab frittered away the advantage of solid opening stand as they were all out for 270 as Karnataka captain R Vinay Kumar ran through the middle-order with a five-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy semi-final here today.
It was a dramatic collapse for the hosts, who were cruising along at 223 for three as they lost their last seven wickets for only 37 runs with Vinay grabbing five of those. The India discard had figures of five for 27 in eight overs to get his 13th five-for in furst-class cricket.
For Punjab, Jiwanjot Singh (74) while Manan Vohra contributed 51 runs. Out of favour Yuvraj Singh looked good during his innings of 42 before a rash shot brought about his downfall.
At stumps on the second day, Punjab bowlers hit back removing opener KL Rahul (4) and one down batsman Mayank Agarwal (0) reducing them to 39 for two in 22.4 overs when umpires decided to call off day's proceedings.
With a full day's play lost, the first innings lead will be a crucial factor in this match as Karnataka have seasoned opener Robin Uthappa (25 batting) at the crease along with the talented Manish Pandey (8 batting).
While Rahul fished at an away swinger from Manpreet Gony with lack of decisive footwork, Agarwal chased at a fuller delivery from Jaskaran Singh, which pitched way outside off-stump as Gitansh Khera took his second catch.
Opting to field, Karnataka seamers Vinay and Abhimanyu Mithun (0/34) didn't make much inroads as openers Manan and in-form Jiwanjot scored 85 runs. Manan brought up his half century off only 48 balls as Punjab were scoring at a rate of above four runs per over.
Manan, who is one of the three uncapped players to have been retained by an IPL franchise (Kings XI Punjab), was aggressive from the start as he hit military medium pacer Ronit More for six of his eight boundaries. He regularly beat the off-side cordon. He also hit a couple of more boundaries off Manish Pandey and leggie Shreyash Gopal.
Manan in fact pulled Gopal over mid-wicket for a huge six. More however had the last laugh when Manan got an edge trying to drive the bowler on the up and the nick was taken by CM Gautam behind the stumps.
Former India U-19 opener Taruwar Kohli (25) along with Jiwanjot added 53 runs for the second wicket before the former was caught at short cover by Rahul.
Jiwanjot hit 12 boundaries in his 74 with shots all round the wicket. He also played some deft cut shots but finally was gone when he was cramped for room by Gopal with a leg-break that was pitched on right length and didn't turn enough. The Patiala opener tried to cut the delivery but the inside edge crashed onto the stumps. Jiwanjot faced 121 balls in his innings.
Yuvraj looked in his element as pulled Gopal over mid-wicket for a six and another mistimed pull-shot also landed cleared the ropes. He also hit Gopal for a couple of more boundaries in 56-ball stay.
However the experienced campaigner lost his cool when he could dispose off a full-toss from Gopal as he hit it straight to the throat of mid-wicket. With Yuvraj, Punjab suddenly lost wickets in a heap as Vinay got into action taking four of the next five wickets.
At 244 for nine, it was Jaskaran, who struck a few meaty blows as the score reached 270 before Vinay ended the Punjab innings with his fifth wicket.
