Easwaran's unbeaten 200 puts Bengal in driver's seat against Bihar in Ranji Trophy


17th February 2024
Abhimanyu Easwaran continued his sublime form in the domestic circuit by smashing a brilliant unbeaten 200 to put Bengal in a commanding position against Bihar at the end of the second day in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.
Enroute his 219-ball innings, Easwaran struck 23 boundaries while also crossing 7000 runs in first class cricket.
His brilliant knock helped Bengal post a massive 411/5 decl in their first innings to grab a 316-run lead after bowling out Bihar for just 95.
In reply, Bihar, in their second innings, were 32/1 at stumps, still trailing by 284 runs. Mukesh Kumar bagged the only wicket for Bengal.
Earlier, resuming the day from overnight score of 111/2, Easwaran and Anustup Majumdar (39) added 71 runs in the morning before the 39-year-old fell with team closing in on 200.
Next up, skipper Manoj Tiwary entered the scene with applause from both the home and away camps.
After the Bihar players and both umpires gave the veteran batsman a guard of honour, the 38-year-old took on the bowlers for the final time in his illustrious career.
In his brief innings of 30, Manoj showed a glimpse of his class while also smashing four boundaries.
But his stay in the middle was cut short after a controversial lbw dismissal. He headed back to the dressing room amidst a huge roar from the home fans. The entire Bengal team stood up, hailing their captain with claps and a guard of honour.
After his departure, Abishek Porel (56) and Shahbaz Ahmed (26 not out) made useful contributions while also giving Easwaran good support at the other end.
As Easwaran reached his double ton, Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla declared their innings in the 105th over with a lead well over 300.

CAB MEDIA DESK
Arindam Basu