Akhil Herwadkar continued his silken touch with the willow and Shreyas Iyer made a first telling contribution of the season. Still, Karn Sharma’s late strikes ensured that Mumbai didn’t run away with opening day honours in its Ranji Trophy Group A clash against Railways at the picturesque Gangotri Glades Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Had Karn not spoilt Mumbai’s party with an accurate display of leg-break bowling in a prolonged spell of 19-4-34-3, Mumbai would have been in a much better position than ending the day at 244 for five.
If it is to justify the decision to bat after the coin landed in Aditya Tare’s favour, Suryakumar Yadav, who is unbeaten on 60, and Abhishek Nayar will have to use their experience on the second morning.
It turned out to be an intense day’s play with the unchanged opening combination Herwadkar and Kastubh Pawar making a cautious start. In the absence of Anureet Singh — who according to captain Karn was rested — Amit Mishra, the right-arm pacer who has switched allegiance from Uttar Pradesh, emerged as the lead pacer. Left-arm pacer Deepak Bansal sprayed the ball in his opening five-over spell before getting his act together later in the day.
Mishra was rewarded in his sixth over when Pawar edged one that slightly shaped away to ’keeper Nitin Bhille. That started the most entertaining phase of the day. Shreyas Iyer edged the first ball he faced but then on for the next hour and half, the batsman was at his aggressive best.
Sweet on-driveHe opened his account with a sweet on-drive off the third ball he faced and followed it up with a straight-drive the very next ball. He then welcomed Karan Thakur into the attack with a cut, and then followed it up with a couple of drives off Bansal after the left-armer changed ends for another burst.
Shreyas took just 49 balls to register his maiden fifty of the season, completing with a single after nudging Thakur to the on-side. Herwadkar, too, started playing freely, compiling his fifty with a straight six off Karn. However, in the penultimate over before lunch, Shreyas missed the ball while trying to flick off Thakur and was trapped in front of the wicket.
Yadav then took his own sweet time to gauge the nature of the wicket, which was slowing down as the day progressed. He had scored just five runs, with two shots, off the first 50 balls he faced. The Railways bowlers also got tidier, thus depriving Herwadkar of loose balls.
The second session saw just 67 runs being scored in 29 overs. When Herwadkar and Yadav resumed the charge, the left-handed opener was on 90 and appeared to be in a hurry to complete his third hundred in as many games. His uppish off-drive off Karn in the fifth over of the session headed straight into Ashish Singh’s palms at mid-off. While Karn got rid of Aditya Tare with a slider that the Mumbai captain failed to read, Siddhesh Lad threw his wicket away with an over-ambitious cover drive.
Bista released for U-23 gameMeanwhile, opening batsman Jay Bista has been released from the squad for Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy (U-23) game against Vidarbha, to be played in Mumbai from Monday.
The scores:Mumbai — 1st innings: Akhil Herwadkar c Singh b Sharma 96, Kaustubh Pawar c Bhille b Mishra 7, Shreyas Iyer lbw Thakur 70, Suryakumar Yadav (batting) 60, Aditya Tare lbw Sharma 4, Siddhesh Lad c Mishra b Sharma 5, Abhishek Nayar (batting) 1; Extras (w-1): 1; Total (for five wkts. in 90 overs): 244.
Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-130, 3-207, 4-213, 5-229.
Railways bowling: Deepak Bansal 18-3-67-0, Amit Mishra 15-5-44-1, Karan Thakur 17-6-32-1, Karn Sharma 24-4-56-3, Ashish Yadav 13-0-42-0, Shivakant Shukla 3-0-3-0.
