Abhimanyu Easwaran stays on 99 FC matches: No rain, no game in Kalyani

Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran's possible 100th first-class match was halted by a wet outfield as no game was played in the Bengal vs Bihar Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match at Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani. After the first three days were called off due to a wet outfield, umpires S. Ravi and Kannur Swaroopanand decided to announce the match as abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Before the match, the Cricket Association of Bengal presented a memento to Abhimanyu Easwaran and the team management gifted him a signed special jersey to mark his 100th first-class match. But, the ground condition could not let Easwaran have this momentous occasion for his home state.

Easwaran will now fly to Australia with the India A team with his Bengal teammates Mukesh Kumar and wicket-keeper Abishek Porel. If everything goes well, he will play his 100th first-class match down under. But, who is to blame for all the mishap? Sportz Point presents you with the details of the entire 4 days with a timeline. 

17th & 18th October 2024 | Match Day -1 and Day 1

On the 17th of October, there was heavy rain in the evening and though except for the "square" the ground was open, we did expect the game to start. A few regions were wet and the colour of the ground suggested the area under the cover was greener and other parts were darker.

On the first day of the match, groundsmen tried their best under the eyes of the BCC's neutral curator, but despite a whole sunny day, those wet patches could not let the game start. Even though they wanted to run a special coring machine, but the ground was so wet that it could have made it worse and the neutral curator advised not to run that machine. 

Meantime Bengal players handed Easwaran his special jersey in the presence of C.A.B C.E.O Chinmay Jain and later in the day, a few members of the C.A.B including Naresh Ojha presented Easwaran a memento to mark his special match.

As the sun set, a cloud started to cover the ground and we saw Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla and bowling coach Shib Shankar Paul helping the groundsmen to cover the ground. So that we could have a match on Day 2.

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19th October 2024 | Day 2

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In the early morning of Day 2, we saw a heavy rain for at least 1 and a half hours and though C.A.B had arranged a few extra covers for the ground, it did not come in any handy. The wet patches from Day 1 became worse from the start, and despite having sun throughout the day, we all knew there would be no game on Day 2 as well. Umpires decided to call off the day around 2 pm IST.

20th October 2024 | Day 3

Post the rain on Day 2's early morning, there was no rain for the rest of the day and there was no rain in the morning of Day 3 as well. However, a foggy morning suggested we could have a game, but it would start late. But, despite all the efforts from the groundsmen, the wet patches did not recover that well to let the game start. 

Umpires made three inspections and called off the day at around 3 pm IST. But, since there was no rain, Bengal players were hopeful of having a go on Day 4 and looking for at least three points. Shahbaz Ahmed, Anutsup Majumdar and Abhimanyu Easwaran were seen practising a few shots in the nets to prepare for a possible one-day match.

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21st October 2024 | Day 4

No rain in the last 48 hours would have made any ground in the world ready for a game. The ground looked better as well. The groundsmen had the covers out of the ground and for the first time in four days, we saw the stumps out and markings on the pitch. But, one after another inspections kept happening and the game did not start.

The damage the ground had suffered on matchday -1 and Day 2, was good enough to abandon the game despite the sunlight throughout the entire four days. At around 12.30 pm IST, umpires announced that the match was abandoned due to a wet outfield. 

Bengal, who were hoping for a seven-point against Bihar, now had to be satisfied with one point and now are at number three position in Elite Group C with 4 points in two games. 

With the C.A.B vote in the coming year, the blame game has already started inside one of the biggest and richest cricket associations in India. Though C.A.B. has assured of better ground covers and planning before the next home match against Kerala, only time will tell what will happen.

Bengal's schedule for the next three games in Ranji Trophy 2024/25

• 26 October 2024 | vs Kerala in Kalyani.
• 6 November 2024 | vs Karnataka in Bengaluru.
• 13 November 2024 | vs MP in Indore.