Thrust with the captaincy against Haryana , Sourav Ganguly rose to the occasion with his first first-class century in two years, but a late collapse meant Bengal conceded a 19-run first-innings lead at the Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium . While four of the top six Bengal batsmen had strike-rates in the twenties or lower, Ganguly did not allow himself to be tied down, smashing 20 fours and a solitary six in his 135, with a strike-rate of 75.84. At 317 for 5, Bengal looked set to overhaul Haryana's total of 358, but Laxmi Ratan Shukla was bowled by Amit Mishra for 28 and his wicket sparked a collapse. The rest of the line-up folded for the addition of just 22 runs, including Ganguly, who was the ninth wicket to fall.
|
