Written by Shamik Chakrabarty |
Updated: June 16, 2022 9:48:21 pm

MP’s job, though, was made easier by a lacklustre batting display from Bengal. (Twitter/BCCI Domestic)

Two Madhya Pradesh spinners, Kumar Kartikeya and Saransh Jain, shared six wickets between them, as their side took an important 68-run first-innings lead on the third day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal on Thursday. At stumps, MP’s lead swelled to 231 runs – 163/2 in their second innings. They can sniff the final.

Once upon a time, MP cricket, in its Holkar vintage, used to throw up stars for fun – CK Nayudu, Mushtaq Ali, Bhausaheb Nimbalkar, CS Nayudu… The current crop has Rajat Patidar’s popularity from his IPL exploits. Patidar is batting on 63 in the second innings, but so far it has been a collective effort under the head coach Chandrakant Pandit’s charge; from Himanshu Mantri’s excellent century in the first innings to Kartikeya and Jain’s spin-bowling and Puneet Datey’s disciplined medium pace. Even when Manoj Tiwary and Shahbaz Ahmed were threatening to take the game away, MP believed. A mistimed sweep from Tiwary gave them an opportunity to run through the Bengal lower-order, which they did. Last time MP qualified for the Ranji Trophy final was in 1998-99. This game is now theirs to lose.

MP’s job, though, was made easier by a lacklustre batting display from Bengal. Tiwary scored a century, braving a heavily-strapped swollen knee and Shahbaz Ahmed, too, batted brilliantly to reach three-figures. The two added 183 runs for the sixth wicket on the heels of a top-order collapse. Apart from that, however, Bengal’s innings had eight single-digit scores and captain Abhimanyu Easwaran’s 22. It was down to poor application.

Manoj Tiwary & Shahbaz Ahmed completed solid tons before Madhya Pradesh, who secured the first-innings lead, ended Day 3 of the @Paytm #RanjiTrophy #SF1 at 163/2. 👍 👍 #BENvMP

Watch how the action unfolded 🎥 🔽https://t.co/Fj2UPpwdNQ pic.twitter.com/nsFHw1IGw1

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) June 16, 2022

Bengal head coach Arun Lal agreed. “Absolutely, there’s no question about it. I’m extremely disappointed with our top-order. I cannot understand how on this pitch you can be 50/5?” Lal told The Indian Express.

Maybe, it was the mindset. The lead-up of this semifinal had left-arm spinner Kartikeya spinning a web on a turning Alur deck. The majority of the Bengal batsmen seemingly carried the fear factor to the crease. “Must have been, because it looks like the top-order was very tense in the beginning,” Lal said.

1⃣0⃣0⃣ up for Shahbaz Ahmed! 👍 👍

A solid knock from the Bengal all-rounder! 👏 👏

Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/liCIcmzaPM #RanjiTrophy | #SF1 | #BENvMP | @Paytm | @CabCricket pic.twitter.com/lRKAapxRSk

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) June 16, 2022

Tiwary revelled in his quality, while Shahbaz has been the team’s crisis man over the last couple of seasons. The way he batted, a promotion in the batting order is imminent. “Definitely. If not No. 3, then No. 4, but definitely in the top five. His temperament is something that stands out. He is cool, he is calm. Doesn’t panic. He is not scared. And he has got a very practical batting technique. Very low backlift; there’s no backlift unless he is hitting a shot. Also, he has got huge leadership qualities. He is a leader and a performer. For the last three years he has been a guaranteed performer. Today, he ran out of partners,” his coach Lal observed.

Bengal aren’t throwing in the towel yet. That’s not in Lal’s nature. For that though, early wickets on the fourth day would be essential. Spinners should come into play more and Bengal have been playing an extra spinner in Pradipta Pramanik in this game.

1⃣0⃣0⃣ for Manjoj Tiwary! 👏 👏

A fine knock this is by the Bengal right-handed batter in a crunch game! 👍 👍

Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/liCIcmzaPM #RanjiTrophy | #SF1 | #BENvMP | @Paytm | @CabCricket pic.twitter.com/BesYlX0klP

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) June 16, 2022

“The pitch has become so slow that once a batsman gets set, it looks like it’s almost impossible to get him out. You need quality red-ball spinners (on this surface),” Lal said.

Shahbaz would do the restrictive job from one end. From Bengal’s perspective, Pramanik, young and raw, needs to punch above his weight.

Also, Bengal missed Wriddhiman Saha both in front of the wicket and behind the stumps. The wicketkeeper-batsman refused to play for his state team this term after fallouts with the state association. “Of course, he (Saha) would have brought in more experience. He is a great cricketer. But he chose not to play for Bengal and that’s his decision,” Lal said. “I don’t support it, but it’s his decision and I respect it.”