Ranji Trophy 2022-23 final: Anustup-Manoj battle for Bengal while Unadkat roars at Eden Gardens

Bengal's most dependent pair Anustup Majumdar and Manoj Tiwary fight it out for the home team at Eden Gardens on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy 2022-23 final. Bengal still trail by 61 runs with captain Manoj Tiwary (53*) and half-centurion from the first inning Shahbaz Ahmed (13*) at the crease. Saurashtra captain Jaydev Undakat struck late in the day to take his team an inch closer to the title.

Bengal started the day well with Mukesh Kumar getting Arpit Vasavada in the first over. Arpit could not add anything to his overnight score of 81. Mukesh Kumar struck again 8 overs later to send Chirag Jani (60) back to the pavilion.

But, the home team's misery on the field continued with Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sumanta Gupta dropping a catch each. Parth Bhut survived twice and Dharmendra Jadeja added 29 runs batting at number 11 to take the first-inning's lead to 230.

Bengal's second inning started horribly with Sumanta Gupta failing again to Chetan Sakariya for 1. When Abhimanyu Easwaran needed to be the hero for Bengal but he failed again. Chetan Sakariya's double strike made it 22/2 for Bengal. Sudip Gharami could not make it big in the final as well he failed to an outgoing delivery from Jaydev Unadkat.

Read Also: Ranji Trophy 2022-23 final: Saurashtra take a huge lead of 230; struggle continues for Bengal

But, it was not all over for Bengal. There came captain Manoj Tiwary, probably for the final time in his career to join his long-time partner Anustup Majumdar. The Eden Gardens crowd's standing ovation to his arrival showed how significant that moment was.

Few singles here and there, a boundary once in a few overs and two veteran batters of Bengal looked at ease at the crease facing the likes of Chirag Jani and Prerak Mankad. Jaydev Unadkat also brought himself into the action but failed to get them out.

Anustup started to look more confident with time and as we all know there is none in the batting lineup who could handle the left-arm spin of Dharmendra Jadeja than Manoj Tiwary. Both the batters saw through the second session of the day.

Post tea, the Bengal duo looked more confident with each and every over. Soon Anustup Majumdar brought up his fifty in style and Bengal fans at Eden Gardens dreamed of a comeback in the match. But, Jaydev Unadkat made sure they turn things around at the fag-end of the day.

Unadkat brought himself into the bowling attack and invited Anustup for a drive, who only managed to nick it to gully to Vishvaraj Jadeja for 61. A few thousand present at the ground were stunned as Jaydev Unadkat roared at them.

Soon after his dismissal Manoj Tiwary completed his fifty and Shahbaz Ahmed started his inning on a positive note with a boundary against Jaydev. Bengal ended Day 3 at 169/4 with the hopes of a comeback on Day 4.