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Bengal follows on

By Our Sports Reporter

Mandya Nov. 17. Karnataka was in command on the penultimate day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B clash against Bengal at the PET Ground here on Monday. At close, the visitors mustered seventeen for one after following on as its first innings yielded 228 while 262 was needed to avoid the follow on. Bengal still needs 166 runs to avoid an innings defeat on the morrow.

The only fight was provided by Laxmi Ratan Shukla who scored 86. Bengal was struggling at 80 for five when Shukla (86, 126b, 8 x 4, 3 x 6) and his partnerships with Sanjib Sanyal (43) and Utpal Chatterjee (14) hinted at a strong comeback.

In the morning session the visitors started badly as Deep Dasgupta fell to Dodda Ganesh, Amitava Chakraborty failed to beat Stuart Binny's throw and Nikhil Haldipur and skipper Rohan Gavaskar succumbed to Sunil Joshi. Stuart Binny's catch to dismiss Rohan Gavaskar, was an athletic effort near the long on ropes that reflected Karnataka's fine fielding on a day when the host was keen to wrest the initiative.

The stage was set for Laxmi Ratan Shukla after Venkatesh Prasad held onto a Subhomoy Das skier near the mid wicket fence. Shukla, took his time to settle down and with Sanjib Sanyal lending support in an 89-run sixth-wicket partnership, Bengal seemed set to avoid the follow-on while trailing Karnataka's 411.

Shukla essayed crisp drives off spinners Sunil Joshi and Udit Patel and his rising confidence was evident in his two sixers off them in the early stages of his innings. Off spinner Udit Patel was plundered for 16 runs in an over but with Sanyal succumbing to Joshi, Bengal suffered a setback.

However, Utpal Chatterjee hung in and helped Shukla put on 50 runs for the seventh-wicket partnership. A touch of class lingered as Shukla eased Prasad past covers but with the seamer trapping Utpal, the Bengal fightback ebbed away while Karnataka gained a 183-run lead.

The hosts' hopes of a victory on the morrow was bolstered later in the evening as Ganesh trapped Dasgupta in the Bengal second innings. Sunil Joshi bowled well for the host and the left arm spinner may have a larger role on the final day when Karnataka presses home for a victory.

Brief scores: Karnataka 411 vs Bengal 228 in 95.5 overs (Laxmi Ratan Shukla 86, Sanjib Sanyal 43, Dodda Ganesh four for 54, Sunil Joshi three for 49) and 17 for one in 8.1 overs.

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