Bengal rode on Ishan Porel’s first five-for of the season to take a firm grip over the Ranji Trophy semifinaagainst Karnataka at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.
Porel (five for 39) helped the host bundle out a star-studded Karnataka for a paltry 122, its worst display this season, after Bengal — resuming on 275 for nine — gathered 312 in its first innings.
Bengal, 72 for four in its second essay, enjoyed an overall lead of 262 even as 15 wickets fell on an action-packed second day.
While Anustup Majumdar boosted the Bengal batting, Porel’s contribution was his incisive bowling.
Hitting the right areas and getting good purchase, the lanky bowler cornered success instantly. R. Samarth’s leading edge and captain Karun Nair’s outside edge went to the slips in the first and third overs.
Porel was well supported by the other pacers and some sensational catching.
Karnataka took lunch at 45 for three after K.V. Siddharth fell to Akash Deep. It returned to be all out in less than two sessions.
A consistent Mukesh Kumar bowled Manish Pandey on resumption. Karnataka lost three more wickets in as many overs with Porel, who scalped three for 23 in his second spell, contributing two.
Left-handed Devdutt Padikkal and right-handed S. Sharath edged away-going deliveries, while A. Mithun pulled one to fine-leg for Porel to celebrate his third five-for.
Meanwhile, Mukesh removed a patient K.L. Rahul (26, 67b, 139m, 2x4). Akash, who dismissed an aggressive K. Gowtham (31), returned a three-wicket haul.
When Bengal batted again, Mithun’s three wickets, put it on the back-foot. Sudip Chatterjee (40) and Majumdar, who was caught off a More no-ball, were at the crease at stumps.
The scores:
Bengal — 1st innings: Abhishek Raman c Sharath b Mithun 0, Abhimanyu Easwaran c Gowtham b Prasidh 15, Sudip Chatterjee lbw b More 20, Arnab Nandi c Sharath b Mithun 17, Manoj Tiwary c Rahul b Gowtham 8, Anustup Majumdar (not out) 149, Shreevats Goswami lbw b More 0, Shahbaz Ahmed b Mithun 35, Akash Deep lbw b Gowtham 44, Mukesh Kumar c Sharath b Prasidh 7, Ishan Porel b More 7; Extras (b-2, lb-1, nb-5, w-2): 10. Total (in 92 overs): 312.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-17, 3-43, 4-62, 5-66, 6-67, 7-139, 8-242, 9-258.
Karnataka bowling: Mithun 21-4-77-3, Prasidh 21-6-78-2, More 17-3-52-3, Gowtham 28-1-90-2, Karun 5-0-12-0.
Karnataka — 1st innings: K.L. Rahul c Abhishek b Mukesh 26, R. Samarth c Tiwary b Porel 0, Karun Nair c Majumdar b Porel 3, K.V. Siddharth c Tiwary b Akash 14, Manish Pandey b Mukesh 12, Devdutt Padikkal c Majumdar b Porel 4, S. Sharath c Abhimanyu b Porel 1, K. Gowtham c sub b Akash 31, Abhimanyu Mithun c Akash b Porel 24, Ronit More c Goswami b Akash 1, Prasidh Krishna (not out) 0; Extras (b-2, lb-2, w-2): 6. Total (in 36.2 overs): 122.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-5, 3-35, 4-56, 5-63, 6-65, 7-65, 8-121, 9-121.
Bengal bowling: Porel 13-2-39-5, Mukesh 14-3-46-2, Shahbaz 1-0-3-0, Akash 8.2-1-30-3.
Bengal — 2nd innings: Abhishek Raman c Sharath b Mithun 1, Abhimanyu Easwaran b Mithun 11, Sudip Chatterjee (batting) 40, Arnab Nandi lbw b Mithun 0, Manoj Tiwary c Sharath b Prasidh 13, Anustup Majumdar (batting) 1; Extras (lb-5, nb-1): 6. Total (for 4 wkts. in 22 overs): 72.
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-23, 3-23, 4-61.
Karnataka bowling: Mithun 6-2-9-3, Prasidh 9-2-31-1, More 7-1-27-0.