Bengal batting vs Bumrah, Axar in clash of toppers

Bengal’s young batting line-up will be put to test by a quality Gujarat side boasting of two India internationals in Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel when the two sides square off in a Ranji Trophy group A encounter, here today.

Both are on even keel with 15 points to their credit but Gujarat lead the table by virtue of better run rate. Bengal’s young top order has fired in all three matches that they have played till now. But it will be a tricky affair on a low and slow Kotla track where Axar can prove to be handy with his immaculate line, Bumrah can trouble with his yorkers, not to forget old wily fox Rudra Pratap Singh who can still pull a trick or two on non-responsive pitches.

The last match at Kotla between Baroda and Punjab produced nearly 1200 runs . One expects the track for current game will be a bit better. Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sayan Sekhar Mondal have provided good starts with both having hit hundreds. Sudeep Chatterjee has been consistently hitting half centuries but the three-figure mark eluded him. Skipper Manoj Tiwary also has been solid as ever at No 4.

Rookie Agniv Pan has had two 50s to his credit. Shreevats Goswami who comes back in the XI in place of Wriddhiman Saha also has a century to his credit. “Gujarat are a quality side. Parthiv is a top class batsman and they have India players like Bumrah and Axar. But speciality of this Bengal team is that they are not scared of names unlike earlier times. This is a happy dressing room,” Bengal skipper Tiwary said.