Mohun Bagan batsman Arindam Ghosh, who represents Railways in the Ranji Trophy, became the first player to score a century in a pink ball match in India in the Cricket Association of Bengal's four-day Super League final between Mohun Bagan and Bhowanipore, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, on Monday.
A day after India pacer Mohammed Shami hailed the 'radium-like' ball in his five-wicket haul, Ghosh played a cracking innings of 125 as the pink ball experiment again emerged the winner, giving both batsmen and bowlers something to rejoice about.
Former India Under-19 batsman, Ghosh, who resumed the day on 49, battled under severe hot and humid conditions in the afternoon to guide Mohun Bagan to 349 from 88.1 overs in the second innings, and set Bhowanipore Club a stiff target of 496.
Mohun Bagan went on to beat Bhowanipore by 296 runs. Shami followed up his five-wicket haul in the first innings with figures of 2 for 82, while part-time seamer Vivek Singh was the wrecker-in-chief in the second essay, claiming 5 for 32, as Bhowanipore Club was bundled out for 199 in 48.3 overs.
Ghosh smashed off-spinner Writtick Chatterjee over long-on to reach the milestone, three overs before the tea break. He hit 11 fours and five sixes in his 225-ball knock, spanning five hours and nine minutes.
He made batting look quite easy as he shared an 84-run stand with Anustup Majumdar (39), the first innings top-scorer with 83, and then added 75 runs with No. 8 Sanjib Sanyal, who hit a fluent 68-ball 51.
There was some cheer for Bhowanipore as seamer Ayan Bhattacharya claimed six for 96 to help bowl out Mohun Bagan in 88.1 overs.
In reply, Bhowanipore were left tottering on 132 for six in 35 overs, still needing 364 to win, with Shami (2/79) snaring the first two wickets in a marathon 15-over spell.
Seamers Sourav Mondal (2/14) and Vivek Singh (2/9) also claimed two wickets each to put Mohun Bagan in the driver's seat at stumps on day three.
The India pacer followed up his five-wicket haul in the first innings with figures of 2 for 82, while part-time seamer Vivek Singh was the wrecker-in-chief in the second essay with 5 for 32 as Bhowanipore Club was bundled out for 199 in 48.3 overs.
