Shami strikes back late in the day; Bengal vs. Maharashtra match heats up on the very first day at Eden
Bengal struck back against Maharashtra on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy encounter at Eden Gardens, with Mohammed Shami leading the fightback. After being bowled out for just 143 runs in their first innings, Bengal made a strong comeback by picking up two Maharashtra wickets for just 21 runs before stumps.
Photo Courtesy: Cricket Association of Bengal
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Bengal struck back against Maharashtra on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy encounter at Eden Gardens, with Mohammed Shami leading the fightback. After being bowled out for just 143 runs in their first innings, Bengal made a strong comeback by picking up two Maharashtra wickets for just 21 runs before stumps.
It was a disappointing batting performance from Bengal, with only Abhishek Porel and Pradipta Pramanik managing to make significant contributions. Porel scored 54 runs, while Pradipta was dismissed for 31. Maharashtra's Pradeep Dadhe and Tanay Sanghvi picked up three wickets each. Rajvardhan Hangargekar and Siddhesh Veer claimed two wickets apiece.
However, Bengal refused to let Maharashtra take complete control of the match. When the visitors came out to bat, Mohammed Shami delivered two crucial blows in quick succession. With Maharashtra's score at 18, Shami first dismissed Prithvi Shaw, who scored 12. Off the very next delivery, he sent Digvijay Patil back to the pavilion for a duck.
Shami finished the day with impressive figures of 2 wickets for just 6 runs in 4 overs, including a maiden.
Bengal have made a शानदार start to this Ranji Trophy campaign. They entered the Maharashtra clash on the back of a hat-trick of victories, having registered outright wins over Delhi, Services and Kerala.
Although their batting faltered on the opening day at Eden Gardens, Shami's double strike ensured that the contest remained wide open. The Bengal-Maharashtra encounter has certainly come alive after an eventful first day.
