Bengaluru, Nov 6 (Representative) A gritty century from Captain Anustup Majumdar anchored Bengal’s innings on Day 1 of their Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, with the visitors reaching 249/5 at stumps. Majumdar’s 101, which included 16 boundaries, was the standout performance of the day, guiding Bengal through a tough early period. Karnataka won the toss and opted to field, and their bowlers responded well, making early breakthroughs. Shuvam Dey (0) was dismissed off the first over, caught behind off Koushik, and Sudip Kumar Gharami (5) soon followed, caught off Koushik as well, leaving Bengal at 21/2 in the 15.2 overs. Majumdar, however, steadied the innings, forging a vital 100-run partnership with Sudip Chatterji (55), who played a crucial knock of 120 balls, including five boundaries.
Chatterji’s departure to Koushik left Bengal at 121/3, but Majumdar continued to play with composure, guiding the score to 150/3 in the 51st over. At Tea, Bengal were 172/3 in 59 overs, with Majumdar unbeaten on 82* and Shahbaz Ahmed (24) at the other end.In the post-Tea session, Majumdar reached his well-deserved century off 157 balls, with 16 boundaries, taking Bengal past the 200-run mark. However, moments after his landmark, Majumdar was dismissed by leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal for 101, leaving Bengal at 201/4 in the 67.4 overs. Shahbaz Ahmed continued to hold the fort, reaching a fluent fifty off 103 balls, with six boundaries. Abhilas Shetty then struck, breaking the 41-run partnership between Shahbaz and Avilin Ghosh for 22 runs off 27 balls. At stumps, Bengal were 249/5 in 78 overs, with Wriddhiman Saha unbeaten on 6.Koushik was the standout bowler for Karnataka, picking up 3 wickets for 29 runs in 18 overs, a remarkable effort on the first day. Shreyas Gopal and Shetty also chipped in with a wicket each. Bad light curtailed play early, but Bengal will look to extend their score on Day 2, while Karnataka will hope to break the remaining partnership and limit the visitors’ total.Brief scores:Bengal: 249/5 in 78 overs (Anustup Majumdar 101, Shahbaz Ahmed 54, Wriddhiman Saha 6*); Karnataka: Koushik 3/29, Shreyas Gopal 1/66, Abhilas Shetty 1/52; At stumps: Bengal 249/5 (78 overs)