Prithvi Shaw’s unbeaten 53 leads Maharashtra to 10-wicket win over Bengal in Ranji Trophy
Prithvi Shaw's unbeaten half-century steered Maharashtra to a 10-wicket victory over Bengal at Eden Gardens in a Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match on Thursday, ending Bengal's three-match winning run. Maharashtra chased 112 in 19.4 overs to complete the win.
Shaw's 53 not out came after an uneven start to his season: he scored 70 off 73 balls against Services in the opening round, made 21 versus Jharkhand in a drawn match where Maharashtra took the first-innings lead, registered scores of 17 and 0 against Gujarat, and was dismissed for 12 off 21 balls by Mohammed Shami in Bengal's first innings. The fourth-innings half-century therefore arrived at a juncture the report described as important for his confidence.
In the chase Shaw finished unbeaten on 53 off 50 balls, striking three fours and four sixes, while Sachin Dhas remained not out on 61 off 68 deliveries, hitting 10 boundaries; Maharashtra closed at 114 without loss. The pair required 19.4 overs to reach the target of 112.
The victory rested on a first-innings cushion of 75 runs: Bengal were dismissed for 143 in 36.5 overs before Maharashtra replied with 218 in 82.5 overs. Tanay Sanghvi contributed an unbeaten 60 off 179 balls in Maharashtra's innings, and Mohammed Shami claimed four wickets for 37 runs while Shahbaz Ahmed picked up three for 39.
Bengal offered resistance in the second innings through Abhishek Porel, who scored 65 off 84 balls, and Sumanta Gupta, who made 59 off 93 deliveries; the pair added 64 for the seventh wicket after Bengal had slipped to 87 for six. Pradeep Dadhe and Hitesh Walunj took four wickets apiece as Bengal were bowled out for 186 in 54.4 overs.
Maharashtra collected seven points, including a bonus point, to move to the top of Group C with 19 points, while Bengal dropped to second with 18. Tanay Sanghvi was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 60 in the first innings and for claiming five wickets across the two innings.
For Shaw the unbeaten 53 arrived at an important juncture after an inconsistent start to the season; Maharashtra will look to consolidate their position in the competition.
