Maharashtra completed a crushing 10-wicket victory over Bengal in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match at the Eden Gardens here on Thursday, chasing down a target of 112 in just 19.4 overs.
The win helped Maharashtra garner seven points, including a bonus point, from the match and dethrone Bengal from the top of the group with 19 points. Bengal moved a place down to second with 18 points.
Skipper Prithvi Shaw led the chase from the front with an unbeaten 53 off 50 balls, striking three fours and four sixes in his second fifty of the season. Sachin Dhas remained not out on 61 off 68 deliveries, hitting 10 boundaries, as Maharashtra finished with 114 without loss.
Bengal were bowled out for 186 in 54.4 overs in their second innings, adding just 110 runs while losing their remaining six wickets in less than 31 overs. For Shaw, the half-century was a timely return to form.
The former India Test opener, who has fallen out of favour, had managed scores of 21, 0, 17 and 12 in his previous four innings.
Bengal’s resistance rested largely on Abhishek Porel and Sumanta Gupta, who struck contrasting half-centuries. Porel top-scored with 65 off 84 balls, while Gupta made 59 off 93 deliveries.The pair added 64 runs for the seventh wicket after Bengal had slumped to 87 for six, but their stand only delayed the inevitable.
Once Porel fell at team’s score of 151, caught by Digvijay Patil off left-arm spinner Hitesh Walunj, the innings unravelled.
Gupta was the last batter dismissed, bowled by Pradeep Dadhe.
Having done the damage with his resolute 27 from 70 balls batting at No. 11 in the first innings, new ball bowler Dadhe led the Maharashtra attack with four for 48 from 17.4 overs, while left-arm spinner Walunj also claimed four wickets, conceding 53 runs.
All-rounder Tanay Sanghvi, who played a decisive knock of 60 not out to give Maharashtra the crucial first innings lead of 75 runs, chipped in with two for 59, including the important wickets of Sudip Kumar Gharami (12) and Sudip Chatterjee (0).
Bengal skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran endured another disappointing outing, falling for nine after scoring 10 in the first innings.
The India Test hopeful has managed just one half-century -- 56 against Services — in eight innings this season, underlining his struggles for consistency.
Ankur Paul (32) was the other notable contributor in the second innings, while all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed fell for a duck after facing 15 deliveries.
Maharashtra’s victory was built on a crucial first-innings lead of 75 runs. After Bengal were bundled out for 143 in 36.5 overs, the visitors responded with 218 in 82.5 overs.
Bengal’s Mohammed Shami was the standout bowler in that innings, returning figures of four for 37, while Shahbaz Ahmed took three for 39.
Sanghvi was later named Player of the Match for his all-round contribution — 60 not out and bowling figures of three for 30 and two for 59 across the two innings.
The result was particularly impressive for Maharashtra given the interruptions caused by rain, overcast conditions and bad light over the last four days here.
For Bengal, the defeat exposed familiar batting frailties and cost them the Group C leadership.
Brief Scores: Bengal: 143 and 186 all out in 54.4 overs (Abhishek Porel 65, Sumanta Gupta 59, Ankur Paul 32; Pradeep Dadhe 4/48, Hitesh Walunj 4/53) lost to Maharashtra: 218 and 114 for no loss in 19.4 overs (Sachin Dhas 61 not out, Prithvi Shaw 53 not out) by 10 wickets.