Mumbai’s might prevailed, Andhra’s batting buckled. Inspired bowling by Dhawal Kulkarni (three for 44) and Shardul Thakur’s (five for 55) high velocity stuff reduced the host from 185 for four at lunch to 215 all out in a dozen second session overs.
The visitors thus usurped a 117-run first innings lead on the penultimate day of their Ranji Trophy Group C match at the C.S.R. Sarma College ground. Separating itself from the host by 307, Mumbai closed day three at 190 for four, thanks to Shreyas Iyer’s splendid, unbeaten 75 (7x4, 1x6).
Andhra’s overnight pair of G. Hanuma Vihari and Ricky Bhui on Sunday morning set out in right earnest. The home captain reached 50 with a couple while Bhui square cut Minad Manjrekar to the boundary to record his half-century.
The odd ball kept low but the duo’s defences seemed watertight, letting little through. After seeing their side cross 100, the two added 152 for the third wicket, shaping a turnaround of sorts if not a recovery from the loss of both openers for 25.
With a little over half an hour left for lunch, Vihari fished outside off to a Thakur delivery leaving him and played into the hands of first slip Suryakumar Yadav. After the triple century against Odisha, the Andhra captain had seemed set to make the magic mark at least thrice but failed to convert the 60s and 70s to three figures.
Bhui fell to a beauty from Kulkarni, the most effective of the Mumbai pacemen, introduced for the first time from the hill end. Well settled by now, the batsman offered no stroke to a ball that swung in late and uprooted the off-stump.
The India discard continued his destruction after lunch and from the same end. Hitting the deck with precision, he got the ball rise to M. Pranith. Late to respond, the southpaw was caught off guard, wasn’t sure about bounce or movement and snicked to stumper Aditya Tare.
Thakur completed the middle order’s demolition, trapping B. Sumanth and Ashwin Hebbar in front. The bearded speedster then went about cleaning up the tail. The thick edge he extracted from B. Ayyappa flew above the waiting cordon but Suryakumar leapt to hold the ball with a spectacular one-handed catch.
Thakur signed off in style, breaking Andhra’s last batsman P. Vijay Kumar’s off-stump.
Lone bright spot: Even as wickets fell around him, Andhra captain G. Hanuma Vihari held forth with his 70.
The scores: Mumbai — 1st innings: 332.
Andhra — 1st innings: D.B. Prasanth Kumar lbw b Abhishek 11, K.S. Bharat run out 11, G. Hanuma Vihari c Suryakumar b Shardul 70, Ricky Bhui b Kulkarni 69, B. Sumanth lbw b Shardul 28, M. Pranith c Tare b Kulkarni 8, Ashwin Hebbar c Bista b Shardul 4, K.V. Sasikanth (not out) 12, B. Ayyappa c Suryakumar b Shardul 0, Bhargav Bhatt b Kulkarni 1, P. Vijay Kumar b Shardul 0; Extras (nb-1): 1; Total (in 77 overs): 215.
Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-25, 3-157, 4-172, 5-192, 6-202, 7-207, 8-209, 9-214.
Mumbai bowling: Shardul Thakur 23-2-55-5, Minad Manjrekar 9-1-41-0, Abhishek Nayar 16-2-43-1, Dhawal Kulkarni 19-6-44-3, Karsh Kothari 9-0-31-0, Jay Bista 1-0-1-0.
Mumbai — 2nd innings: Prithvi Shaw run out 21, Jay Bista c Sumanth b Sasikanth 36, Shreyas Iyer (batting) 75, Suryakumar Yadav b Ayyappa 33, Siddhesh Lad c Vihari b Bhatt 22, Aditya Tare (batting) 1; Extras (lb-2): 2; Total (for four wkts. in 41 overs): 190.
Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-73, 3-135, 4-179.
Andhra bowling: B. Ayyappa 12-0-72-1, P. Vijay Kumar 13-1-46-0, K.V. Sasikanth 6-0-33-1, Bhargav Bhatt 10-0-37-1.
