[caption id="attachment_28367" align="aligncenter" width="580"]Atit Sheth 1 Atit Sheth of Baroda took 10 wickets in the match against Bengal at Lahli. image Source: huntnews.in[/caption] Internet Desk:It was a huge disappointment for Manoj Tiwary and his team as Bengal faced the humiliation of losing a Ranji Trophy Group A tie under two days against Baroda by 21 runs at Lahli. The match turned out to be farcical contest as 40 wickets fell inside two days with a total of 439 runs being scored. Baroda went home happy defending a target of 155 as Bengal was all out for 133 runs in their second innings. This was after Baroda also scored an identical 133 in their second essay. Ironically, the difference of 21 runs in the first innings turned out to be the turning point for Baroda. In the end, Manoj Tiwary's words turned out to be prophetic as he had clearly stated that any target above 120 will not be practically chaseable on a track where the contest is heavily loaded in favour of bowlers. Young seamer Atit Seth (10/94) would remember this match for his performance but will certainly not be an indicator of his capabilities in conditions loaded in favour of bowlers. With six inch grass at three quarter length and damp patches made the life hell for the batsmen. The highest score in the entire match was Tiwary's 39 in the second innings. In fact, he hit six fours in 48 balls before an incutter from Sagar Manglorkar did him in. He had added 54 runs for 5th wicket with Pankaj Shaw (16) but once Tiwary was gone, hopes of victory evaporated as the pitch also proved that Bengal's batting is yet to get ready for challenges in adverse circumstances. Disappointed Bengal captaion Manoj Tiwary explained the need for “balanced” surfaces in order to develop a better skillset among players. He felt that the pitch in Bilaspur where Bengal beat Punjab was an ideal track as there was equal purchase for batsmen, spinners and pacers. “The wicket in Bilaspur was perfect. It helped batsmen, had something in it for fast bowlers on account of the mild covering of grass and aided the spinners as the surface dried out on the third day,” he pointed out before adding that “there need to be some research on wickets like these (in Lahli).” Baroda captain Irfan Pathan said, “We bowled well as a unit. All credit should go to Atit Sheth and Kedar Devdhar. The fielders backed our bowlers and that made life even tougher for them. The win today came after a tough season so far. It is good to win against a team who were doing well. We must also admit that this team is going through a transition phase. The more they play, the better they will get.” The defeat dented Bengal's chances of qualification for knock outs as they are placed fifth now with 16 points. The 6 points helped Baroda climb to seventh position as of now with other matches still on. Brief Scores: Baroda 97 and 133 (Mukesh Kumar 5/45) Bengal 76 and 133 (Manoj Tiwary 39)