Bengal and Karnataka played out a tame draw in their Elite-C Ranji Trophy encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Bengal, resuming on 127 for three, opted for a cautious approach, batting beyond lunch to set Karnataka an improbable target of 364.
Sudip Kumar, who had scored a century in the first innings, remained unbeaten on 101, while Wriddhiman Saha contributed a solid 63 not out. Bengal declared their second innings on 283 for five, leaving Karnataka with less than two sessions to bat.
Karnataka’s chase got off to a shaky start as they lost openers Mayank Agarwal and Kishan Bedare cheaply. However, R. Smaran (35 not out), Shreyas Gopal (32), and Manish Pandey (30 not out) steadied the ship, guiding the home team to safety.
Bengal’s bowlers, led by Ishan Porel and Akash Deep, kept the pressure on Karnataka’s batsmen, but the visitors were unable to force a breakthrough. The match ended in a draw, with Karnataka earning three points and Bengal taking home one point.
Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary expressed satisfaction with the result, saying, “We wanted to bat for as long as possible and put pressure on Karnataka. We knew they had some quality bowlers, but we were confident in our batting lineup.”
Karnataka captain Mayank Agarwal admitted that his team had been affected by “a few soft dismissals” and that the batters were keen to take corrective action. He also highlighted the absence of regulars like K.L. Rahul, V. Vyshak, and Devdutt Padikkal, who are away on international duty.
“We want our players to play a higher grade of cricket. We want to keep fighting and find ways to win games for Karnataka. If we get a win in the next game, then suddenly things look different,” Agarwal said.
