Ranji Trophy: Bengal post steady 239-3 against Maharashtra

PUNE: Openers Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sayan Mandal hit disciplined half-centuries to help Bengal post a steady 239 for three on the opening day of the Group 'A' clash against Maharashtra on Sunday.
Easwaran struck his third fifty of the season with a carefully constructed 65 while southpaw Mandal provided the perfect foil with a composed 58, the duo's 128-run stand all but dashing the hosts' hopes of maximum points from the game.
In-form batsman Sudip Chatterjee then consolidated the good start with a stylish and confident 51, adding 56 runs for the third wicket with captain Manoj Tiwary (30) and 47 for the unbroken fourth-wicket partnership with Shreevats Goswami (21 batting).
Maharashtra, languishing in sixth position with nine points, need to win their remaining three league games to secure their knockout berth.
Put in, Easwaran and Mandal applied themselves well to negate the new ball. With the pitch packing little juice for the bowlers, it soon became comfortable to bat on.
Maharashtra found their breakthrough in the 15th over after lunch when Samad Fallah induced an edge from the right-handed Easwaran. Three overs later, Chirag Khurana yorked Mandal to make it 136 for 2.
Tiwary drove Khurana for a four and six in the same and was looking set when Domnic Muthuswami produced a peach of a delivery to have him caught behind. Muthuswami almost had Goswami the next ball but the strong appeal for caught behind was turned down.
Maharashtra rested their talismanic batsman Kedar Jadhav. Akshay Darekar was the other omission from the team that played against Delhi with Muthuswami and Anupam Sanklecha returning to the team.