Kerala stun Bengal, Delhi reel
RANJI TROPHY: ROUND 3, DAY 3
A wicket assisting pace bowlers was meant to be a shortterm palliative for Bengal. It became a painful nine-wicket defeat in three days against Kerala that could ruin the chances of qualifying from the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B this term.
Before the match started, Bengal’s team management had spoken of the potential of Mohammed Shami and Ashok Dinda. The possibility of Kerala spearhead Basil Thampi struggling with his length in red-ball cricket too was pointed out. Thampi’s medium-pace accounted for four wickets after Kerala won the toss and elected to field. Four Bengal batsmen were out for zero, and having been dismissed for 147, Bengal left their fast bowlers --Shami, Dinda, Ishan Porel and Mukesh Kumar --- too little to bowl at.
Kerala were put in a spot but run-machine Jalaj Saxena (143) teamed with VA Jagadesh to add 119 for the sixth wicket. “Our batting in the second innings was unacceptable with a number of batsmen showing a lack of game awareness,” said Bengal skipper Manoj Tiwari.
“It seems the fear of getting out was playing on their minds. This is a problem that has to be dealt with individually. I too was under pressure before the start of the season and I managed to find a way. Because I am among runs now, if I had some support today the match could have turned out differently. That said, I must also point out that on a wicket which has moisture, the toss plays an important role,” said Tiwari, who counter-attacked with a 75-ball 62 on Day 3.
Tiwari and Sudeep Chatterjee added 89 runs but once the skipper was bowled by Sandeep Warrier --- the bowler from Thrissur took 5/33 in Bengal’s second essay --- the hosts fell in a heap to be dismissed for 184. Thampi finished with seven wickets.
After three games, Bengal have six points while Kerala go on top of the standings with 13.
“We played good cricket throughout and around sometime yesterday, I felt it was possible that we could win in three days,” said Kerala coach Dav Whatmore.
In Hyderabad, Delhi’s plight wasn’t much better than Bengal as the former champions were struggling at 245/6 at stumps on Day 3 of their Elite Group B match. In reply to Hyderabad’s first innings 460 all out, Delhi were rattled by the left-arm spin of Tanay Thyagarajan, who claimed three wickets, including opener Hiten Dalal (93), who was bowled, and skipper Nitish Rana ( 82).
KOLKATA: