Cricket

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.

Bengal tightened its grip on its Elite 'C' Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka on Friday, moving into a strong position on the penultimate day.Bengal's fast bowler Ishan Porel spearheaded the morning session, claiming three quick wickets to dismiss Karnataka for 221. With an 80-run first-innings lead, Bengal adopted a cautious approach in its second innings, reaching 127 for three. The visitor now holds an overall advantage of 207 runs, putting it in a favorable position to secure a victory on Saturday.Resuming on 155 for five, Karnataka relied on overnight batters Abhinav Manohar and Shreyas Gopal to build a substantial partnership. However, their hopes were dashed when Porel dismissed Shreyas (28) caught behind in the fourth over of the day.Shortly after, Karnataka suffered a major setback when Manohar was caught by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha. The umpire upheld the appeal for an inside edge, despite Manohar's protestations. Young Hardik Raj (11) was also sent back after attempting a tight single, with substitute Pradipta Pramanik throwing down the stumps.Vidyadhar Patil (33) and V. Koushik (11) provided some resistance, putting on 40 runs for the ninth wicket. Patil showcased his batting prowess, striking the ball cleanly and powerfully when deliveries were in his arc.Karnataka's hopes of closing the gap with Bengal's total evaporated when fast bowler Suraj Sindhu uprooted Vidyadhar's stumps.Bengal's openers, Shuvam Dey (30) and Sudip Chatterjee (48), blunted the new ball threat with grit and patience. By the time the duo was dismissed - both to thick edges - Karnataka had lost ground.In the evening session, a Vidyadhar peach stunned first-innings centurion Anustup Majumdar. The Bengal skipper pressed forward to defend, but Vidyadhar snuck the ball between bat and pad to flatten the middle stump.