Calcutta: Manoj Tiwary’s decision to field against Saurashtra backfired at the end of the opening day of Bengal’s Ranji Trophy match at the Eden. As the bowlers were sent on a leather hunt, it became difficult for the stand-in captain to defend his decision.

“It was a team decision… I’ve no regrets,” Tiwary said later.

Coach Roger Binny also voiced his support. “It was not a wrong judgement. If we had two/three wickets in the first hour, it could have been a different proposition. It was one of the rare occasions when wickets didn’t fall in the opening session at the Eden.”

Not all were happy with the decision though. “Why on earth should one not decide to bat on a wicket which is not a green top? Moreover, batting first always has its advantages,” said a member of the selection committee.

Tiwary, however, tried to put up a brave face, saying they were confident of overhauling the Saurashtra total. “We have a very strong batting line-up… Even if they get to 500, we can get past them. It’s a good batting wicket and it will be tough to get us out,” said Tiwary.

“We gave away a lot of runs. We had hoped that the pitch would help the bowlers in the morning session. The ball generally moves around in the first session at the Eden. We have good pacers and had hoped that a few wickets then would make things difficult for Saurashtra.

“Unfortunately, the bowlers disappointed. They had an off day. Sometimes, attacking field settings can backfire… The fast outfield also contributed to the run fest,” explained Tiwary.

Saurashtra scored 372 for three on the opening day. Ranadeb Bose and Sourav Sarkar were the worst offenders. Ashok Dinda, who surprisingly didn’t open the bowling, looked good in the spell after lunch. Naturally, Dinda didn’t seem too happy with the limited chances he got.