Ranji Trophy: Bengal suffer season's first loss, slip to second spot
toi
newspoint|06-11-2026
KOLKATA: Bengal ’s unbeaten run in this Ranji season came to a grinding halt as they went down to Maharashtra in an Elite Group ‘C’ match by 10 wickets at Eden Gardens here on Thursday.
Maharashtra recorded their second outright victory and by virtue of gaining the maximum seven points from this win, dislodged Bengal from the top to go into the Ranji break as table-toppers with 19 points.
Bengal, returning empty-handed from their second home match of this season, are at second spot with 18 points with Gujarat breathing down their neck with 16 points at third place.
Despite losing considerable amount of play to bad light and rain over the last three days, that Maharashtra won this tie with a session of play remaining, speaks poorly of Bengal’s quality of play.
Skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran was candid in admitting that. “It’s the way we lost that hurts most,” he said after the match. “We played poor cricket,” he added.
His counterpart Prithvi Shaw gave full credit to his boys. “I think our bowlers did both the job for us in the first innings,” he smiled while mentioning the 72-run last-wicket stand between Tanay Sanghavi and Pradeep Dadhe in the first innings. “It was an even match till then, but once we had them (Bengal) four down on Day III, we felt like we could win this match,” he said.
Resuming at one run ahead of the Maharashtra score, 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.
After the quick dismissals of Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal and Shahbaz Ahmed, Abishek Porel and Sumanta Gupta then tried to steady the ship by building up a partnership. Porel got his half-century off 68 balls but fell soon after edging one from left-arm spinner Hitesh Walunj that jumped a bit awkwardly to Digvijay Singh at first slip for 65.
Pradipta Pramanik fell to a brilliant diving catch by Ankit Bawne at mid-wicket off Hitesh, who also claimed Mohammed Shami’s wicket to finish with four for 53.
When Sumanta Gupta dragged one of pacer Dadhe’s delivery on to his stumps in the third over after the lunch break, Maharashtra needed 112 runs to win.
Openers Shaw and Sachin Dhas took the side home in just 19.4 overs before the tea break by playing some aggressive cricket.
The visitors reached 50 in seven overs with Dhas getting 34 of those runs. However, Shaw joined the party too as he lifted left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed for a six each in his consecutive overs.
Shaw stayed unbeaten on 53 off 50 balls, striking three fours and four sixes while Dhas was unconquered on 61 off 68 deliveries, hitting 10 boundaries, as Maharashtra finished with 114 without loss.
Brief Scores: Bengal 143 & 186 (Abhishek Porel 65, Sumanta Gupta 59, Ankur Paul 32; Pradeep Dadhe 4-48, Hitesh Walunj 4-53). Maharashtra 218 & 114/0 (Sachin Dhas 61 no, Prithvi Shaw 53 no). Maharashtra won by 10 wickets.
Maharashtra recorded their second outright victory and by virtue of gaining the maximum seven points from this win, dislodged Bengal from the top to go into the Ranji break as table-toppers with 19 points.
Bengal, returning empty-handed from their second home match of this season, are at second spot with 18 points with Gujarat breathing down their neck with 16 points at third place.
Despite losing considerable amount of play to bad light and rain over the last three days, that Maharashtra won this tie with a session of play remaining, speaks poorly of Bengal’s quality of play.
Skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran was candid in admitting that. “It’s the way we lost that hurts most,” he said after the match. “We played poor cricket,” he added.
His counterpart Prithvi Shaw gave full credit to his boys. “I think our bowlers did both the job for us in the first innings,” he smiled while mentioning the 72-run last-wicket stand between Tanay Sanghavi and Pradeep Dadhe in the first innings. “It was an even match till then, but once we had them (Bengal) four down on Day III, we felt like we could win this match,” he said.
Resuming at one run ahead of the Maharashtra score, 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.
After the quick dismissals of Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal and Shahbaz Ahmed, Abishek Porel and Sumanta Gupta then tried to steady the ship by building up a partnership. Porel got his half-century off 68 balls but fell soon after edging one from left-arm spinner Hitesh Walunj that jumped a bit awkwardly to Digvijay Singh at first slip for 65.
Pradipta Pramanik fell to a brilliant diving catch by Ankit Bawne at mid-wicket off Hitesh, who also claimed Mohammed Shami’s wicket to finish with four for 53.
When Sumanta Gupta dragged one of pacer Dadhe’s delivery on to his stumps in the third over after the lunch break, Maharashtra needed 112 runs to win.
Openers Shaw and Sachin Dhas took the side home in just 19.4 overs before the tea break by playing some aggressive cricket.
The visitors reached 50 in seven overs with Dhas getting 34 of those runs. However, Shaw joined the party too as he lifted left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed for a six each in his consecutive overs.
Shaw stayed unbeaten on 53 off 50 balls, striking three fours and four sixes while Dhas was unconquered on 61 off 68 deliveries, hitting 10 boundaries, as Maharashtra finished with 114 without loss.
Brief Scores: Bengal 143 & 186 (Abhishek Porel 65, Sumanta Gupta 59, Ankur Paul 32; Pradeep Dadhe 4-48, Hitesh Walunj 4-53). Maharashtra 218 & 114/0 (Sachin Dhas 61 no, Prithvi Shaw 53 no). Maharashtra won by 10 wickets.
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