This is the fourth match against Maharashtra at home from November 2nd. Before that, three wins have given Bengal confidence. Although the team's coach Lakshmi said, "Everyone in the team performed well. Pradeepta is impeccable. He fulfilled the responsibility I gave him. Winning three matches is a good thing. But this is nothing. We have a long way to go. There is no room for complacency."
Bengal, who were semi-finalists last year in the Ranji Trophy, have been in a strong rhythm since the beginning. Abhimanyu Easwaran's team has strengthened their position in the points table by winning three consecutive matches. Winning by a huge margin against Kerala at their home ground is certainly a precedent.
The heroes behind Bengal's victory on Kerala soil were Shahbaz Ahmed with the bat and Pradeepta Pramanik with the ball. Shahbaz's century at the crucial time and Pradeepta's fast spin, who took 10 wickets in two innings, crushed the opposition. After losing the toss, Bengal scored 350 runs, courtesy of Shahbaz's fast innings of 121 runs, Ankur Pal's 66 runs and Sumanta Gupta's 49 runs. In reply, Kerala's first innings was bundled out for just 141 runs due to the dominance of Bengal's bowlers. Pradeep Pramanik took four wickets while Mohammed Shami took three wickets. Shahbaz Ahmed took two wickets.
After this, Bengal did not let Kerala follow on due to excessive heat. Bengal started to score quickly in the second innings. Captain Abhimanyu Ishwaran scored 47 runs. Shahbaz contributed 20. However, Bengal lost wickets at regular intervals while batting aggressively. Finally, the second innings ended at 198 runs. Bengal's lead in the two innings stood at 407 runs. As a result, Kerala's target for victory was 408 runs.
In reply, Kerala lost the match at the end of the third day due to the dominance of Pradeep's spin. Sachin Baby-Jaljo Saxena's team lost four wickets for just 53 runs and was under pressure. Bengal's bowlers did not take any special time to quickly pick up the remaining six wickets on the morning of the last day. Kerala's innings ended with just 120 runs in the second innings. Abhishek Sharma Removes Ishan Kishan: Abhishek Sharma has now come home to roost! He took the throne from Ishan Kishan …
Pradipt Pramanik took 6 wickets in the second innings alone. Along with taking 6 wickets for 51 runs, he also took 4 wickets in the first innings. As a result, his total in the match is 10 wickets. This is the best bowling of his career. Pradeep said, "It feels good to be a part of the team's victory. I want to maintain this consistency. In addition to performing with the ball, I was able to contribute a little with the bat at an important time."
Apart from Pradeep, Shami and Shahbaz took two wickets each in the second innings. Bengal brigade is confident in the Ranji Trophy after winning three consecutive matches.