Sudip Chatterjee’s patient knock keeps Bengal afloat on day one

Sudip Chatterjee (78 n.o., 177b, 5×4) was steadfast in his vigil despite losing partners, allowing Bengal to show up and survive on an attritional opening day against Haryana in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium here on Thursday.

After fog and poor light consumed the entire first session, Chatterjee braved the elements, struck a 120-ball half century, and took Bengal to 168 for five at stumps.

Ironically, however, Chatterjee struck the first two boundaries of the contest – a glide past gully off Aman Kumar and chip over midwicket against Anshul Kamboj. But these were mere aberrations in the opening two hours where shouldering arms was trusted the most.

Abhimanyu Easwaran was quick to learn after Kamboj tempted him outside off and almost extracted an edge.

Spinners came into the fold as early as the eighth over but any purchase or bounce extracted by Amit Rana and Tanmay Baloda was smothered by the opening pair, which put together 61 runs.

Left-arm orthodox Baloda delivered with quick wickets at the stroke of tea. Abhimanyu was first, not quick enough to respond to a ball that skidded through and took an inside edge to second slip. In his next over, Baloda got turn against Sudip Gharami, who poked and was snared at slip.

Haryana could have had a third had Yuvraj Singh not spilled a ricochet off Anustup Majumdar’s glove at short leg.

Majumdar seemed to be making the most of his reprieve when he whipped Aman through square leg and drilled Baloda through mid-on for boundaries after resumption. His luck, though, ran out against Kamboj, who generated extra bounce off a length to hit the bat’s shoulder and nab him in the cordon.

Shahbaz Ahmed drew from his share of fortune too, chasing a wide delivery from Aman and seeing the edge dissect the first and second slips. But he gambled it away on a lavish slog sweep against Amit, missed and was trapped in front of the stumps.

Baloda struck once more before close of play, getting Sumanta Gupta leg-before, to further chip away at Chatterjee’s support heading into the second day.

The scores: Bengal – 1st innings: Abhimanyu Easwaran c Yuvraj b Baloda 26, Sudip Chatterjee (batting) 77, Sudip Gharami c Yuvraj b Baloda 1, Anustup Majumdar c Yuvraj b Kamboj 19, Shahbaz Ahmed lbw b Amit 15, Sumanta Gupta lbw b Badola 9, Shakir Habib Gandhi (batting) 1; Extras (b-6, lb-12, nb-1): 13; Total (in 58 overs, for five wkts): 168.

Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-65, 3-98, 4-137, 5-158.

Haryana bowling: Kamboj 16-8-16-1, Aman 11-2-38-0, Amit 16-0-51-1, Baloda 11-0-38-3, Shandilya 4-0-7-0.

Toss: Haryana.