Ranji Trophy: Bengal push for outright win against Delhi
Overnight unbeaten centurion Abishek Porel started off on a positive note by driving pacer Navdeep Saini straight down the ground for a four on the very first ball of the day. However, his unbeaten partner Sudip Gharami looked a bit tentative and was lucky to survive on 131 when Hritik Shokeen dropped an easy catch at deep cover off Saini.
On the third day of their Elite Group 'C' Ranji Trophy match, Bengal found themselves 88 runs behind Delhi, despite reaching 429 runs for the loss of ten wickets. Abishek Porel started the day in strong form with a four off the first ball but was later caught out. Sudip Gharami, their partner, fell for 133 runs when dismissed. However, Porel's 149-run partnership with Gharami briefly lifted Bengal's total.
Ayush Badoni cemented Delhi's lead by dismissing the final three batsmen in the second over after lunch. Delhi missed a chance to strengthen their position when Sudip Chatterjee held onto a catch offered by Sarthak Ranjan. This allowed Delhi to restrict Bengal's second innings score to just 101/3. Bengal's fortunes improved in the final session of play as they took two wickets in quick succession, while Pradipta Pramanik claimed the final wicket.
Yash Dhull was forced to retire hurt with a chest injury, but he could still be available for the remainder of the match. Bengal's coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla remains optimistic about his team's prospects, citing the wicket's slower pace and occasional bounce as advantageous.
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