KOLKATA: Bengal batters plundered runs in plenty to take control of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'A' match against Nagaland in Sovima, on the outskirts of Dimapur on Wednesday. Left-arm spinner Pradipta Pramanik finished with a career-best six-wicket haul as clean bowled overnight unbeaten batter Chopise Hopongkyu in the fourth ball of Day 2 morning as the Nagaland innings folded up at 166 without adding anything to the overnight score.
Bengal lost opener Koushik Ghosh (4) early, but Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sudip Gharami were in sublime form stitching together a 224-run second-wicket stand that saw the visitors maintain a healthy run-rate gathering 336 for four in 82 overs of play, thereby enjoying a healthy 170-run first-innings lead.
Returning to the side after missing the first two Ranji matches, Easwaran made his presence felt by hitting his fourth consecutive first-class century. The opener got good support at the other end as Gharami got his back-to-back tons following the 101 against Himachal Pradesh in the last match.
Both the batters got their fifties before the lunch interval and reached the three-figure mark just before tea. Their partnership was broken when Gharami perished for 104 while pulling pacer Hopongkyu to deep square leg for Yugandhar Singh to take a well-judged catch. Gharami hit 11 fours and the only six of the innings so far during his 178-ball innings.
Easwaran, however, continued to get the runs and looked like getting a double hundred but fell for 170 while trying an ambitious shot to be bowled by Rongsen Jonathon. The India 'A' batter hit 16 boundaries while facing 218 balls.
Bengal lost Anushtup Majumder (30) soon after in the same fashion. But skipper Manoj Tiwary and Shahbaz Ahmed saw through to the stumps as bad light stopped play early for a second consecutive day.
