Gautam Gambhir hit a quick-fire hundred helping Delhi script an eight-wicket win after seamers Amit Bhandari and Kunal Lal ripped through the Bengal second innings on the final day of their four-day Ranji Trophy Elite division Group A match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.
Gambhir struck a crackling 126 (153m, 111b, 20x4, 1x6) and added 170-run for the opening wicket with Aakash Chopra (62 not out; 207m, 165b, 8x4) to pave way for an eight-wicket victory for the visitors.
Chopra played the anchor while Gambhir toyed with the Bengal bowling to enable Delhi reach their second innings target of 222 in just 49.5 overs, wrapping up the game shortly before tea.
Earlier, Delhi pacers Lal and Bhandari created havoc in the Bengal second innings as the hosts, who resumed at 190/3, managed to add only 42 runs to their overnight total before being all out for 232 in less than an hour's play this morning.
Lal (4/72) and Bhandari (5/61) bowled unchanged for 11.3 overs that the Bengal batters could survive. Bhandari, who had scalped five in the first innings as well, had a match haul of 10 wickets for 116 runs.
The tourists bagged four points for their first outright victory this season to increase their tally to 12 points from six matches, thus brightening their semifinal prospects.
Bengal, on the other hand, remained on four points from six games, facing relegation risks after conceding back-to-back defeats in four outings.
Scorecard
Bengal 1st innings: 240
Delhi 1st innings: 251
Bengal 2nd innings: (overnight 190 for 3)
A Das lbw b N Negi 20
D Dasgupta c G Gambhir b A Bhandari 56
R Krishnan c A Chopra b A Bhandari 34
L R c S Dhawan b A Bhandari 51
R Gavaskar c R Bhatia b K Lal 34
M Tewari c A Chopra b K Lal 16
S Das c V Dahiya b K Lal 12
R Kundu c G Gambhir b A Bhandari 1
M Lodhgar c M Manhas b K Lal 1
S S Paul not out 1
R Bose c A Jadeja b A Bhandari 0
Extras: (b-5, lb-1) 6
Total (all out, 55.4 overs) 232
Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-79, 3-147, 4-190, 5-205, 6-221, 7-223, 8-227, 9-227.
Bowling: N Negi 11-3-42-1, K Lal 19-2-72-4, A Bhandari 15.4-2-61-5, R Bhatia 5-1-18-0, R Sanghvi 4-0-30-0, A Jadeja 1-0-3-0.
Delhi 2nd innings:
A Chopra not out 62
S Dhawan lbw b R Bose 15
G Gambhir c (sub) A Chatterjee b M Lodhgar 126
M Manhas not out 11
Extras: (lb-1, nb-7) 8
Total: (for 2 wkts, 49.5 overs) 222
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-188.
Bowling: S S Paul 12-2-60-0 R Bose 11-2-40-1 M Lodhgar 16.5-2-63-1, R Kundu 7-0-49-0, M Tewari 3-0-9-0.
Ranji Trophy 2004-05: COMPLETE COVERAGE