Delhi looked in some sort of discomfort at home turf for the first time this season as they reached 100/3 in reply to Bengal’s 357 on the second day of their Ranji Trophy group league cricket encounter, here on Friday.
On a tricky Kotla surface with variable bounce, Ashoke Dinda removed Gautam Gambhir (0) leg before in the very first over as the India discard was beaten for pace.
Veteran left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (1/28) then dismissed Gambhir’s deputy Unmukt Chand (13) with a ball that kept low and caught him plumb in-front.
Debutant Risabh Panth (28) looked in flowing touch as he tonked Ojha for a straight six and hit some elegant drives off Dinda. Just when he was looking set, indiscretion cost him as he tried to cut a Veer Pratap Singh delivery edging one to Wriddhiman Saha behind the stumps.
However young left-hander Nitish Rana (30 batting) continued his consistent form adding 44 runs for the fourth wicket with Milind Kumar (20 batting)
Earlier, Bengal could not capitalise on their overnight score of 272 for three as they lost their seven wickets in one and half sessions with addition of 85 runs to finish their first innings in 135.5 overs.
Brief Scores
Bengal: 357 leadDelhi: 100/3 (Nitish Rana 30 batting; Ojha 1/28, Dinda 1/27) by 258 runs.