Ranji Trophy: Mumbai take big first-innings lead against Bengal

KOLKATA: Suraj Jaiswal added three scalps to finish with a deserving six-wicket haul. Abishek Porel completed a rare five-catch haul for a wicketkeeper. And Anustup Majumdar, three months shy of turning 40, notched up his 16th First Class hundred.

Despite all these individual accolades, the rest of the Bengal outfit staged a meek surrender as an all-round team effort by Mumbai at the Eden Gardens meant Shivam Dube’s side was in firm control of the Group B game at the halfway stage.

Thanks to a last-wicket partnership of 65 runs between Dhawal Kulkarni and Royston Dias, Mumbai finished its first essay at 412 in the morning session. And the extended day’s play to make up for the lost time on the opening day saw Bengal’s first innings folding up off the last ball of the day for a paltry 199.

With a sizeable lead of 213 runs and having made earning bonus points a habit in the first half of the Ranji Trophy group stage phase, it will not be a surprise if Mumbai imposes follow-on on Sunday morning in a bid to seal its place in the quarterfinals. Agencies

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