Players Details
Fixture & Results
Bengal need 5 wkts to seal the deal
16th October 2017
Bengal need 5 more wickets with a day's play remaining as Chhattisgarh chase 190 runs to save the match after the visitors reduced them to 229 for 5 in their second innings after scuttling them out for 110 in their first essay.
The Bengal pacers showed regal form bowling with fire and imagination on a pitch that looked benign otherwise.
Ashoke Dinda had a memorable 100th appearanceb in first class cricket taking seven wickets in the first innings, while Mohammad Shami took four wickets in the second innings never allowing a moment's peace to the hosts. Amir Gani was the perfect foil as he flummoxed the batsmen with his guile.
As the day kicked off bright and fresh, Dinda was having one of those matches where he could not do anything wrong. He added a 5-wicket burst to his two overnight to finish first innings with 7 wickets for 21 runs off just 65 deliveries.
"It obviously feels good to have been able to take seven wickets on this occasion. But more importantly in the context of the match this is vital," Ashoke said after the day's play.
"We have an advantage. Shami has bowled very well also and given us a good chance. We will give our best tomorrow when we go out. To win this match will be really special," he added.
The home team however refused to surrender even after skipper Manoj Tiwary enforced a follow-on. Batsmen Abhimanyu Chauhan and Ashutosh Singh put up a steely jawed fightback scoring 115 and 71 respectively in a second wicket partnership of 172 runs.
After the visitors reduced the opponents down to a trickle at 110 in the first innings they showed diligence and stubbornness with the bat in the second innings with the score-sheet at the end of the day reading 229 runs for 5.
In the second inning it was a Mohammed Shami show as he ran through the middle order of Chhattisgarh innings taking four wickets for just 45 runs taking his match tally to 6 wickets so far.
Trailing by 190 runs at stumps with the last recognised batting pair Manoj Singh and Jatin Sahay Saxena at crease, the hosts have a mountain to climb and Bengal five need five perfect deliveries.
CAB MEDIA DESK
Arindam Basu
