Lucknow: Bengal still need 39 runs to overtake Uttar Pradesh’s first-innings total in the Ranji final and they have just two wickets intact. But skipper Deep Dasgupta is confident that his team will manage to take the crucial first-innings lead on Day IV.

“We were in a similar situation last season against Madhya Pradesh and we did it in style,” Deep said confidently after stumps were drawn on Tuesday.

The skipper did, however, say it was a tense situation and that the batsmen could have done better. “Some bad shots and a few bad decisions proved crucial for us,” Deep said without elaborating further.

“Our batting didn’t click as we expecting it to in the first innings. But there are still two days to go and we have every chance of notching up an outright win,” Deep added.

On the advice he would give to overnight not out batsmen Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Ranadeb Bose, the skipper said: “Both are senior cricketers and know their jobs well.”

On Piyush Chawla, Deep said the young leggie bowled a good line and length.