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 its Ranji Trophy Group-C cricket match against Maharashtra at the Eden Gardens here on Wednesday (November 4, 2026).

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

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, ahead just by one run. With only 28 overs bowled in three hours and 16 minutes of play, the intervention of the weather gods looked favourable for Bengal.

Earlier, 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 Saghavi 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 leg before within three balls to leave Bengal struggling 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 Walunj 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.