KALYANI: Bengal will have to show a lot of composure if they hope to defeat Baroda with the hosts -- three down for 53 in their pursuit of a tricky target of 177 in a Ranji Trophy Group A match at the end of third day.
On an eventful third day when 14 wickets fell, Bengal's first innings wound up at 191 after just two runs were added to their overnight score.
They then had their seamers Mukesh Kumar (4/43) and Ishan Porel (3/22) to thank for dismissing Baroda for a paltry 98 in the second innings.
Coming in to bat for the second time, Bengal found themselves in hot waters, losing the entire top order comprising opener Abhishek Das (7), India A skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran (9) and Anustup Majumdar (9) cheaply, leaving them in a precarious situation of 53 for three, and a target of 187 looking like an insurmountable task.
With skipper Manoj Tiwary -- a veteran of 135 first-class games, who is nearing the 10,000-run milestone -- still to come and Sudip Gharami holding one end up with an unbeaten 28, Bengal can still turn around their reverses but they will have to bat with a lot of conviction on the final day.
Earlier, Baroda, following their 269 in the first innings, found the going tough in the second essay managing just one score in double digits. Pratyush Kumar's workman-like unbeaten 62 off 149 deliveries and the diligence he showed while facing Mukesh and Porel was the talking point at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground.
The 27-year-old opener, playing only his eighth first-class game, kept his attacking instinct in check to reach his half century and remained unbeaten till he ran out of partners.
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