Dinda-Kartik again involved in a verbal spat in Ranji quarters

Kolkata: There was no love lost between Bengal and Railways cricketers as veteran India discard Murali Kartik was involved in another verbal altercation with mercurial Bengal speedster Ashoke Dinda on the first day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final match here Wednesday.

A day after both teams termed it all past and captains Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Murali Kartik were engaged in a photo-op, Dinda was seen having a verbal exchange with the Railways skipper. Dinda looked all worked up as he struck four boundaries, including one square cut over deep point to Kartik, en route to his 12-ball 17. The Bengal pacer was seen swinging his bat in the air while going back to the dressing room after the day`s proceedings. "Kartik remarked a few things about his shots and Dinda was not somebody to stay quiet," a team insider said. The mercurial Bengal pacer was all aggressive after they lost six wickets in 67 runs to be 233/8 including the wicket of skipper Shukla. Less than a month after they had a bitter exchange with Kartik who `Mankaded` Sandipan Das in their league match in New Delhi, Shukla too was all worked up against the Railways skipper when he came into bat in the 65th over. All aggressive, Shukla stepped out to Katik in the 66th over but only to miss the line as wicketkeeper Mahesh Rawat missed the stumping opportunity as the duo seemed to exchange a few words. In the end, it was Kartik who won the mini-battle after Shukla powerful sweep ricocheted off Nitin Bhile`s shoulder in the short leg to be taken by wicketkeeper Rawat. Young Bengal middle order batsman Writtick Chatterjee too showed dissent when he gestured umpire Suresh Shastri his elbow and stayed at the crease in protest after being given out caught behind. However, it`s still not known whether the young Bengal batsman was handed any punishment. Railways players were however graceful in congratulating young Sudip Chatterjee, who made 96. "They told me `Well played, bad luck...`, Chatterjee said and added that he was not sledged during his knock. Put in, Bengal were 274 for eight with half-centuries from Chatterjee, Abhimanyu Easwaran (65) and Wriddhiman Saha (60 batting).