After piling up a comfortable total of 392, Madhya Pradesh struck early in the Bengal innings to restrict the hosts to 70/4 and vie for a first innings lead on the second day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite division group 'A' match in Kolkata on Saturday.
The visitors, resuming at overnight 272/4, were all out for 392 in 147 overs before Sanjay Pandey and Yogesh Golwalkar brought early breaks into Bengal innings picking up two wickets each at the Eden Gardens.
Losing four top order batters, the hosts were now looking upto Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly (batting 4) to rescue them from the crisis.
Sourashis Lahiri on zero was at the other end.
Earlier, Bengal seamers Shiv Shankar Paul and Ranadeb Bose raised hopes for bringing an early end to Madhya Pradesh innings, picking up three wickets in the morning session.
Syed Abbas Ali, who remained unconquered on 135 on the opening day, was the first casualty this morning as he was caught and bowled by Paul after making 145 (276b, 22x4).
The visitors soon lost two other wickets and stood at 299 for 8 before Brijesh Tomar (38) and Sunil Dholpure (not out 49) stretched the innings adding 71 runs in the eighth wicket.
Paul claimed four wickets while veteran spinner Utpal Chatterjee, who had scalped his 500th wicket in first class cricket on Friday, took another two during the day's play.
Brief score: Madhya Pradesh first innings 392 all out in 147 overs (S Abbas Ali 145, N Ojha 96; S S Paul 4/101).
Bengal first innings 70/4 in 29 overs (R Gavaskar 38; S Pandey 2/31, Y Golwalkar 2/12).