Date : 14/11/09
Calcutta: Sourav Ganguly batted like a man possessed but, unfortunately, that wasn’t good enough to ensure a first innings lead for Bengal against Baroda in their Ranji Trophy Super League encounter, at the Eden Thursday.
Poor shot selection, inept batting by the lower order and a couple of horrible decisions saw Bengal capitulate for 293 — 14 runs short of Baroda’s first innings total of 307.
Baroda were 58 for one in their second innings; An outright result is highly unlikely unless Baroda, having ensured three points, choose to go for the kill.
The hosts lost their last five wickets for 36 runs after Sourav scored a delightful 76 (97 balls, 14x4) — his 86th first-class cricket half-century. Those who thought Sourav would give the morning session to the bowlers were in for a shock.
The former India captain hit Irfan Pathan for four boundaries — all pierced through off-side, which made rival captain Connor Williams take Irfan out of the attack.
It looked as if he’d started from where he left off, last December, against Goa (his last first-class match).
Such had been the ferocity of his attack that, when he reached 40, the other batsman, Arindam Das, was yet to add to his 52 overnight. Sourav completed his 50 off 54 deliveries with 10 boundaries.
Das (61), on the other hand, got a debatable decision when he was adjudged leg before by an incoming Murtuza Vahora delivery. Das even gestured to his bat to point out that there had been an inside edge.
In came skipper Laxmi Ratan Shukla (69, 107 balls, 9x4, 2x6) and started playing his shots in customary fashion. He pulled a Vahora bouncer for six and hit Yusuf Pathan over long-on for another.
Sourav stepped out to hit left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh for a straight boundary.
On 67, Sourav completed a personal milestone of 15,000 first class runs. The duo added 76 runs for the fifth wicket and a first innings lead didn’t look an uphill task.
At 218, Sourav went for a cut when Yusuf hurried one on. The ball took the inside edge before hitting the stumps. Bengal went to lunch with the scoreboard reading 252 for five and needing 56 runs to reach the magic figure of 308.
Post lunch, left-arm spinner Singh changed his tactic and started bowling leg-stump line to Shukla who, for once, couldn’t curb his impetuosity, having been tied down for some time. He tried to play an inside-out scoop only to hole out to Firdous Bhaja at mid-off.
At 257 for six, it was expected the rest would gather the required 51 runs.
While Dibyendu Chakraborty (19) scratched around for 100 minutes before edging one to ’keeper Pinal Shah off Irfan Pathan, debutant Sayan Sekhar Mondal (10) got a real bad one from umpire Subrata Das — ruled caught behind off Vahora — as video footage gathered by the Bengal video analyst clearly shows that Shah took it off the bounce.
The youngster waited in the field and later received a caution from Match Referee Sanjib Pal. Vahora (4/35) then got rid of Sourav Sarkar (1) and Ranadeb Bose (1) to ensure at least three points for Baroda.
Skipper Shukla, meanwhile, pulled a hamstring while bowling in Baroda’s second innings and has been advised couple of days’ rest.
It has been learnt that the team management might just request the CAB to lodge an official complaint against the standard of umpiring. With six cameras specially installed to assess the performance of umpires, it will be interesting to see what kind of report is submitted by Subrata Banerjee, the umpires’ coach.
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