Did Akash and Shahbaz Lead Bengal to Victory Against Haryana in the Ranji Trophy?
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Key Takeaways
Rohtak, Jan 30 (NationPress) The pace sensation Akash Deep and left-arm spin maestro Shahbaz Ahmed both achieved remarkable milestones by taking five wickets apiece, leading to Haryana being bowled out for a mere 100 runs. This stellar performance has placed Bengal in a commanding position during their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C encounter at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium in Lahli on Friday.
Akash recorded impressive bowling figures of 5-40 over the course of 15 consecutive overs, marking his seventh five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Similarly, Shahbaz delivered with figures of 5-42, also his seventh five-wicket haul in the same cricket format, as Haryana succumbed in just 32 overs.
The brilliant display from the duo enabled Bengal to secure a substantial first-innings lead of 93 runs. In their response, Sudip Gharami (61) and Abhimanyu Easwaran (61 not out) formed a crucial partnership of 109 runs for the second wicket, propelling Bengal to 155 for 3 in 41 overs at stumps on day two, extending their lead to an impressive 248 runs.
Meanwhile, at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy in Dehradun, captain Kunal Chandela scored an impressive 207 off 297 balls, marking his first double century in first-class cricket. Uttarakhand subsequently declared at 460 for 7 in 120 overs against Assam. In response, Mayank Mishra claimed three wickets, leaving Assam in a precarious position at 91 for 4, trailing Uttarakhand by 369 runs.
In another match at Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium in Agartala, Gujarat made a strong showing with a total of 352 in their first innings, led by skipper Manan Hingrajia who scored 150 runs. Tripura mounted a solid reply, reaching 208 for 3 at stumps, with Indian players Hanuma Vihari (40 not out) and Vijay Shankar (51 not out) stabilizing their innings, and Sridam Paul contributing a valuable 69 runs.
Finally, at Palam A Ground in New Delhi, Railways concluded day two at 168 for 6 in 40.4 overs, trailing Services who had posted 343 in their first innings by 175 runs. Ravi Singh was the top scorer for Railways with 55 runs, while Zubair Ali remained unbeaten on 45. Arjun Sharma shone for Services with 3 wickets for 45 runs in 11 overs.