Bengal’s seamer Ishan Porel made a triumphant return to competitive cricket, scalping three wickets on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Group-C match against Kerala at the Jadavpur University ground.
After a frustrating day of no play due to a damp outfield, the match finally commenced at 3:30 p.m. Bengal captain Anustup Majumdar wasted no time in putting Kerala in to bat, hoping to exploit the bowler-friendly conditions.
Porel, playing his first match in nearly nine months after recovering from fitness issues, justified his captain’s faith. In his fifth over, he trapped Rohan Kunnummal (23) in front and had B. Aparajith caught behind in consecutive deliveries.
Left-arm spinner Pradipta Pramanik then accounted for Aditya Sarvate in the next over, leaving Kerala reeling at 38 for four. Captain Sachin Baby (4) and Akshay Chandran (9) were at the crease when bad light stopped play after about one hour and 20 minutes of play.
Bengal coach L.R. Shukla expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, saying, “Ishan had put up a lot of hard work before this match. He bowled well. We had a target of taking three wickets today. Our bowlers showed a positive mindset, it’s good to take four. There will be some assistance for the bowlers in the morning. Hopefully, we can do well.”
