Photo via Hindustan Times

Sudip Gharami, Abishek Porel give Bengal vital first-innings lead

Bengal’s Ranji Trophy campaign took a decisive turn on Monday as Sudip Gharami and Abishek Porel anchored a dominant first innings, securing a 64-run lead over Delhi. Gharami’s unbeaten 122 and Porel’s 114 not out—both struck under testing conditions—put Bengal in control by the close of play, with the team finishing at 304 for three.

Porel’s century came despite a dropped catch at first slip, while Gharami narrowly avoided a stumping attempt from Anuj Rawat. Delhi’s bowlers struggled to contain the batsmen, with the pitch’s flattening under heat and humidity allowing Bengal’s hitters to exploit misfields and a porous slip cordon.

Early resistance from Delhi’s Simarjeet Singh and debutant Ankur Paul was quickly overcome, as Bengal’s lower order stabilized the innings after Abhimanyu Easwaran’s cautious start and Sudip Chatterjee’s early dismissal for eight.

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