Sourav Ganguly during the Duleep Trophy match against Zimbabwe President’s XI in Mumbai on Friday. (Fotocorp)

Mumbai: Zimbabwe President’s XI batsmen looked clueless for the second match in running in the Duleep Trophy Tournament when they were bundled out for 156 in the first innings by East Zone at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday.

East Zone replied strongly with 108 for no loss at stumps on the opening day of the tie with openers Arindam Das (51 in 104 balls with 8 fours) and Shiv Sunder Das (50 in 64 balls with 8 four) at the crease.

Zimbabwe President’s XI, put in to bat by East Zone captain Sourav Ganguly after he won the toss, squandered the chance of batting first on a track ideal for stroke-play and were reduced to 103 for nine after being 64 for one at one stage.

They would have been bundled out much earlier had not No. 11 batsman W. Mwayenga cracked a 49-ball 42 and also put on the highest stand of the innings worth 53 runs with No. 10 batsman Graeme Cremer who remained not out on nine.

Zimbabwe’s innings ended during the extended second session of play after they were nine down at the scheduled tea break.

Bengal medium-pacer Ranadeb Bose ripped out the top half of the visitors’ batting, sending back four top order batsmen to end up with fine figures of five for 28 in 17 overs.

His new ball and Bengal partner Shib Shankar Paul grabbed three of the other five Zimbabwe first innings wickets while Sourav and off spinner Sourashish Lahiri got a wicket each.

Lahiri, incidentally, was drafted into the playing XI at the expense of S. S. Rao.