Left-handed opener Abhishek Raman held the Bengal innings together with a gritty unbeaten 110, taking the hosts to 241 for four against Andhra on day one of their Elite group A Ranji trophy fixture, here on Wednesday.
Raman survived some anxious moments especially in the 90s before pulling KV Sasikanth over square leg to score his second successive century.
Raman, who scored 110 in Bengal's win over Kerala in their previous match, got good support from former skipper Manoj Tiwary as they revived the innings in the post-lunch session after being reduced to 99 for two.
While Raman batted through the day, facing 255 balls, Tiwary too was at his fluent best, striking a six and six fours. They added quick 87 runs for the third wicket before Tiwary was done in by a short one from CV Stephen, the most impressive Andhra bowler.
Andhra set Tiwary up well with short-pitched deliveries as he top-edged one to get out for 46.
"I'm sure he will not sleep well tonight. He could have converted it into a big one," Bengal coach Arun Lal said of Tiwary's dismissal.
"It was a tactic as they bowled him short without a slip. He (Tiwary) played well and his contribution with Raman took the team forward. He's not the player to leave it at 46."
Brief Scores: