Having bowled a magical spell of 4/14, Mohammed Kaif stepped up with the bat at No. 9 with an unbeaten 45 to help Bengal take the first-innings lead of 128 runs against hosts Uttar Pradesh on day two of their Ranji Trophy Group B match here on Saturday.
Resuming at 95/5, Bengal folded up for 188 under challenging conditions at the Green Park, with veteran India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar returning excellent figures of 8/41.
Uttar Pradesh, who were dismissed for 60 in the first innings, responded with resilience in the second essay to be 46 for no loss at close on day two.
Samarth Singh and Aryan Juyal remained unbeaten at 21 and 20, respectively as UP trailed by 82 runs.
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Day 3 promises an intriguing contest as the home side will look to overcome the deficit and assert dominance, while Bengal bowlers will be desperate to seize the early initiative.
Earlier on Saturday morning, Bengal lost three wickets for 15 runs. But Kaif showed the way, emerging as the top-scorer with 45 not out off 79 balls.
Tailenders Kaif and Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal (20) added the much-needed 52 runs for the ninth wicket to take Bengal to a fighting score.
Kaif smashed four boundaries and two sixes.
After the dismissal of Suraj, Kaif partnered with Ishan Porel (10) and added another vital 26 runs for the last wicket to take the hosts to a respectable total.
Mumbai dominate Andhra
At the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC, 41-time champions Mumbai asserted their dominance against Andhra.
After posting a formidable total of 395 in their first innings, Mumbai bowlers showcased their prowess, restricting Andhra to 98/3 at stumps on day two, trailing by 297 runs.
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The day’s highlight was Mumbai’s lower order, led by Tanush Kotian and Mohit Avasthi, who orchestrated a stellar recovery from being 281/6.
Overnight batter Kotian, with his composed knock of 54, provided the stability required to anchor the innings, while Avasthi made a crucial 53 to frustrate the Andhra bowlers.
Brief Scores: In Mumbai: Mumbai 395; 137.2 overs (Bhupen Lalwani 61, Tanush Kotian 54, Mohit Avasthi 53; Nitish Reddy 5/64). Andhra 98/3; 37 overs (Prasanth Kumar 59 batting). Andhra trail by 297 runs.
In Kanpur: Uttar Pradesh 60 and 46 for no loss; 18 overs. Bengal 188; 58.2 overs (Mohammed Kaif 45 not out, Sayan Ghosh 41; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 8/41). UP trail by 82 runs.
In Patna: Bihar 108; 38.4 overs (Bipin Saurabh 49; Ravi Kiran 5/21, Vashudev Bareth 3/21). Chhattisgarh 211/1; 66 overs (Rishabh Tiwari 98 batting, Ashutosh Singh 81 batting). Chhattisgarh lead by 103 runs.
In Guwahati: Kerala 419; 113.4 overs (Sachin Baby 131, Rohan Kunnummal 83, Krishna Prasad 80, Rohan Prem 50; Mukhtar Hussain 3/82, Rahul Singh 3/56). Assam 14/2; 5 overs. Assam trail by 405 runs. P
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