Eyeing an outright win in its season opener against Delhi, Bengal displayed a united effort to increase its stranglehold on the Ranji Trophy Group-C match at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground here on Tuesday.
Resuming from 304 for three, the home side added 119 to put up a formidable 429 and secure a sizable 189-run lead.
Keen to avoid defeat, Delhi was at 101 for three in its second innings at Stumps on Day 3.
Bengal’s overnight centurion pair of Sudip Gharami and Abishek Porel witnessed an early end to their association as Delhi promptly took the new ball.
Gharami (133, 235b, 19×4), dropped off Navdeep Saini in the 84th over, was adjudged leg-before-wicket off the disciplined Divij Mehra in the next over. It broke a 229-run partnership, lasting 283 minutes.
Porel (149, 228b, 17×4, 1×6) formed a useful 56-run stand with Sumanta Gupta (50, 62b, 5×4), who played fine shots on either side, before being caught at forward short-leg off Hrithik Shokeen.
Gupta departed in similar fashion off Ayush Badoni and Pradipta Pramanik fell cheaply.
The Bengal innings folded in the second over after lunch as Badoni, hitting good areas and extracting the turn, dismissed tailenders Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar to record his second fifer.
On the back foot, Delhi lost Sarthak Ranjan as Akash uprooted his middle stump.
Yash Dhull, hit on his chest in the next delivery, was retired hurt.
The southpaw duo of Sanat Sangwan and Ayush Doseja showed character. They consumed time and collected 36 runs in 23 overs.
Even on a slow and eased out track, Shami used the crease beautifully and tested the batters with some movement. Mukesh, who broke the left-handers’ defiant association with a delivery that kissed Doseja’s gloves, and Akash provided good support.
Left-arm spinner Pramanik castled Sangwan when one of his deliveries spun from the rough.
Published on Oct 13, 2026
