Ranadeb Bose is over the moon after sending back another Mumbai batsman at the Eden on Monday. The Bengal pacer had a five-wicket haul. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: For Bengal, the Ranji Trophy couldn’t have started with two better results. Full points against Punjab, followed by two against Mumbai.

Till Sunday, it looked even two innings wouldn’t be completed in the clash with Mumbai at the Eden. But Ranadeb Bose on Monday produced a dream spell that saw Mumbai end 206 runs in arrears on first innings. To gain a psychological edge for the season ahead, Deep Dasgupta then enforced the follow-on, a first for the hosts against Mumbai. Not without reason, the Bengal captain was quick to term this as a “mini achievement”.

Ranadeb claimed five for 69 off 34.1 overs as Mumbai were bundled out for 372. Apart from Bhavin Thakkar, who fell for 157 (438 minutes, 322 balls, 24x4), their batsmen lacked application.

“I hope the youngsters will learn from the experience. They have got the potential to do well. Chasing 578 was tough in one-and-a-half days… Bengal batsmen applied themselves better… I can only hope for better wickets,” was how visiting captain Amol Muzumdar summed it up.

Ranadeb was superb during his 12-over opening spell with the second new ball in the morning. Bowling an off-stump line, he got the ball to move both ways, putting the batsmen in all sorts of discomfort. He had picked six wickets in the opening game in Mohali.

Muzumdar was adjudged leg-before to one that came in sharply, while Thakkar failed to keep his bat away from an outgoing delivery. During the afternoon spell, he hastened Mumbai’s doom by removing Nilesh Kulkarni and Swapneel Hazare.

Ranadeb has started this new season with fresh hope and determination. Paras Mhambrey’s guidance has helped him a lot in planning strategies and working on shortcomings. He looks much fitter and the hard work has paid off. Even on this docile wicket, he managed to extract appreciable pace and bounce.

Bengal had a game plan and full credit must go to Deep for executing that to perfection. Setting attacking fields right from the outset, he gave the batsmen very little time to relax. The bowlers bowled to their fields and he also rung in the right changes at the right time.

Ashok Dinda bowled well only in patches. He should not have got involved in the mind games with Ramesh Powar as it only disturbed his concentration. While Dinda was warned by the umpires for stepping into danger area, Powar repeatedly gave him the charge and exchanged a few ‘pleasantries’.

The spinners were disappointing. Shiv Sagar Singh failed to make any impact and Sourashish Lahiri lacked variation and penetration. The offie may have picked two wickets, but looked unimpressive at critical moments.

Bengal will do well to forget the euphoria of enforcing the follow-on on mighty Mumbai and concentrate on their next match against Andhra Pradesh, from December 17 at the Eden. “We’ll have to start from scratch,” Deep pointed out.

Dinda fined

Dinda was charged with a Level 1 offence for excessive appealing and fined 10 per cent of his match fee by Match Referee Arun Sharma of Punjab. The pacer later apologised to the umpires.