Ranji Trophy 2021-22: Bengal creates unique record as top 9 players score half-centuries against Jharkhand

Bengal has played some outstanding cricket in the last two days of the Ranji Trophy 2022 Quarter-Final and they went one step further as the top nine batters of the side scored half-centuries for the first time in first-class cricket history. Jharkhand elected to field first after winning the toss and the move did not go well as the Bengal batters put on a great show in their first innings at the Just Cricket Academy ground in Bengaluru.

In fact, there were consistent partnerships right till the declaration came along on the third day. The openers, Abhishek Raman alongside his skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran started the assault on the first day with scores of 61 and 65 respectively. Sudip Kumar Gharami, who came in at three, played a giant knock of 186 off 380 deliveries while Anustup Majumdar (117) scored a century as well coming in at four for the Bengal side.

Akash Deep scores an 18-ball half-century for Bengal towards the end

The veteran Bengal batter Manoj Tiwary scored a valiant 73 coming in at five and the runs kept flowing from the Bengal batters. The wicketkeeper-batter Abishek Porel came in at six and played his part with a 111-ball 68 while the last wicket to fall for Bengal was Shahbaz Ahmed for a well-made 78. With some quick runs needed towards the start of day three’s play, the likes of Sayan Mondal and Akash Deep stepped up and scored half-centuries as well.

Deep, in particular, was quite aggressive from the start finishing with an unbeaten 18-ball 53 that included eight sixes while Mondal showed good support with an unbeaten 53-run knock as well. In the end, Bengal finally declared at 773 for 7 in 218.4 overs and it looks like the Jharkhand side has got a big task on their hands if they have to take the first-innings lead from here on.

Jharkhand bowlers had no answers to Bengal’s brilliant display and Sushant Mishra took a hammering going at more than four runs per over despite picking up three wickets. Shahbaz Nadeem picked up two wickets while Rahul Shukla and Anukul Roy picked up one wicket each for Jharkhand in the first innings.