Sportstar·India·Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 01:41 PM UTC

Ranji Trophy 2026-27: Rain brings Bengal relief but draw vs Maharashtra far from secure

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Y.B. Sarangi

Maharashtra’s radeep Dadhe and Tanay Sanghavi (in picture) kept Bengal in check on day 3 of their Ranji Trophy encounter. | Photo Credit: PTI

Maharashtra’s radeep Dadhe and Tanay Sanghavi (in picture) kept Bengal in check on day 3 of their Ranji Trophy encounter. | Photo Credit: PTI

Looking to save the match and a point, Bengal was precariously placed in its second innings as bad light and rain took its toll on the penultimate day’s play of the Ranji Trophy Group-C match at the Eden Gardens here on Wednesday.

After a rain-delayed start in the post-Lunch session, Maharashtra added 11 runs to its overnight score to aggregate 218 and establish a solid 75-run first innings lead over Bengal.

As only 28 overs could be bowled in three hours and 16 minutes of play, the intervention of the weather gods looked favourable for Bengal.

The host, needing a draw to manage a point and hold on to its top spot at the break, stuttered again in its second innings to be at 76 for four and take a one-run lead.

Mohammed Shami trapped Maharashtra’s No.11 batter Pradeep Dadhe in front in the fourth over of the day to return four for 37. It ended a 60-run 10th wicket stand between Dadhe and Tanay Sanghavi (60 not out, 179b, 3x4, 1x6) and Bengal’s frustrating wait.

Nevertheless, Dadhe and Sanghavi continued to trouble the home team with the ball. The Maharashtra pacers bowled wicket-to-wicket in overcast conditions and got the dividends.

Dadhe had Abhimanyu Easwaran caught behind in the fourth over before Sanghavi dealt a double blow in the ninth by scalping both Sudips. Gharami played a loose shot to point, while Chatterjee missed the line to be adjudged lbw within three balls. Bengal struggled at 25 for three.

Opener Ankur Paul (32, 60b, 5x4) and Abishek Porel (23 batting, 40b, 1x4) played the balls on merit and steadied the boat by adding 49 runs before the former was caught at silly point off left-arm spinner Hitesh Walunj after tea.

Bengal eventually erased the deficit before bad light played spoilsport.

The scores

Bengal -- 1st innings: 143.

Maharashtra -- 1st innings: Prithvi Shaw b Shami 12, Siddhesh Veer c Jaiswal b Shami 28, Digvijay Patil lbw b Shami 0, Ankit Bawne b Kaif 7, Sachin Dhas c Chatterjee b Jaiswal 7, Harshal Kate lbw b Kaif 1, Saurabh Nawale c Porel b Shahbaz 28, Tanay Sanghavi (not out) 60, Rajvardhan Hangargekar b Shahbaz 24, Hitesh Walunj c Abhimanyu b Shahbaz 1, Pradeep Dadhe lbw b Shami 27; Extras (b-10, lb-11, nb-1, w-1): 23; Total (in 82.5 overs): 218.

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-18, 3-31, 4-46, 5-47, 6-64, 7-102, 8-146, 9-158.

Bengal bowling: Shami 23.5-8-37-4, Jaiswal 13-0-38-1, Kaif 13-2-36-2, Shahbaz 18-4-39-3, Pramanik 13-1-39-0, Sumanta 2-1-8-0.

Bengal --2nd innings: Abhimanyu Easwaran c Nawale b Dadhe 9, Ankur Paul c Patil b Walinj 32, Sudip Gharami c Patil b Sanghavi 12, Sudip Chatterjee lbw b Sanghavi 0, Abishek Porel (batting) 23, Suraj Jaiswal (batting) 0; Total (for four wkts.in 24 overs): 76.

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-25, 3-25, 4-74.

Maharashtra bowling: Dadhe 7-3-22-1, Hangargekar 2-1-7-0, Sanghavi 7-1-22-2, Kate 1-0-13-0, Walunj 4-0-8-1, Veer 3-0-4-0.

Published on Nov 04, 2026

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