Kolkata, Nov. 5 -- There was little room for doubt about Prithvi Shaw's intentions when he walked out to chase 112 against Bengal at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. The target was modest, and the match situation comfortable enough, but Shaw was in no mood to treat the exercise as a formality. He wanted to make a statement, and he did so with the sort of uninhibited strokeplay that once made him one of Indian cricket's most exciting prospects.

Maharashtra needed just 19.4 overs to complete a crushing 10-wicket victory, with Shaw unbeaten on 53 off 50 balls, including three boundaries and four sixes. At the other end, Sachin Dhas provided an equally assured presence, finishing on 61 not out off 68 deliveries as Maharashtra reached 114 withou...