Young Bengal pacer Sourav Sarkar [Images] sizzled on debut claiming four wickets to rattle the Maharashtra top order before the visitors fought back to play out the opening day of their four-day Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match in Kolkata on Monday.

• Ranji Trophy 2006-07

After electing to bat, Maharashtra were reeling at 71/6 just half-an-hour into the post-lunch session.

However, a gritty 99-run stand for the seventh wicket between Sridharan Sriram (51 batting) and S A Satbhai (48) helped them to 171/7 at stumps on day one at the Eden Gardens.

Sarkar, who finished with impressive figures of 4/38, utilised the morning moisture on the wicket to give Maharashtra the initial jolt by sending back openers Dheeraj Jadhav (0) and Mansingh Nigade (9).

Seamer Ashok Dinda got rid of Y V Takawale (9) before Ranadeb Bose (2/51) showed the door to the experienced Hrishikesh Kanitkar (19) and Pratik Desai of consecutive balls as Maharashtra saw half their side back into the dressing room with only 42 runs on the board.

Maharashtra also lost Sairaj Bahutule (13) cheaply before Sriram (173b, 275 m, 7x4) and Satbhai (147b, 183m, 7x4) stabilised the innings.

Satbhai, who was lucky to have been dropped thrice, was finally trapped plumb before the wicket by Sarkar, minutes before the end of play.

At close, Anupam Sanklecha (0) was at the crease along with Sriram.

Scorecard:

Maharashtra 1st innings
M S Nigade lbw b Sarkar            9
Dheeraj Jadhav c Tiwary b Sarkar   0
H Kanitkar b Bose                 19
Y Takawale c Chakrabarty b Dinda   9
S Sriram batting                  51
P Desai c tiwary b Bose            0
S Bahutule c Chakrabarty b Sarkar 13
S Satbhai lbw b Sarkar            48
a Sanklecha batting                0
Extras (b-12, lb-6, nb-2, w-2)    22
Total (for 7 wkts, 86.2 overs)   171

Fall of wickets: 1/8, 2/9, 3/36, 4/42, 5/42, 6/71, 7/170.

Bowling: Bose 24-7-51-2, Sarkar 19-9-38-4, Dinda 19-7-31-1, L R Shukla 9-5-8-0 S, Lahiri 13.2-2-25-0, Tiwary 2-2-0-0