Anustup Majumdar’s gritty century and Shahbaz Ahmed’s fluent half-century rescued Bengal from early trouble, helping them reach a solid 273 for five against Railways on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group C match on Friday.

Choosing to bat first, Bengal found themselves in early trouble against a disciplined Railways attack.

Skipper Sudip Gharami (0) fell early to Adarsh Singh, while Aditya Purohit (6) and Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal (5) departed cheaply, leaving the visitors struggling at 27 for three inside the first 27 overs.

Wicketkeeper Habib Gandhi (28) attempted to stabilize the innings, but his dismissal to left-arm spinner Kunal Yadav at 61 threatened to derail the brief recovery.

It was then that Majumdar, one of Bengal’s most seasoned players, stepped up to the challenge.

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