Having conceded a 100-run lead in the first innings, the Mumbai batsmen batted brilliantly in the second innings on day 3 of the Ranji finals against Gujarat in Indore on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Gujarat were dismissed for 328. This 100-run lead were in the back of minds of Mumbai batsmen when they started their second innings.
In the second innings, Mumbai opening batsmen started on a steady note by adding 54 runs for the opening partnership. Gaja accounted for Herwadkar for 16.
Gaja quickly dismissed the semifinal hero Prithvi Shaw for 44. These two quick wickets pegged Mumbai back with the score on 66 for 2.
But the experienced Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav batted beautifully to scuttle the Gujarat bowlers to make any inroads further. These two added 127 runs for the third wicket and Mumbai erased the first innings deficit and established a healthy lead over Gujarat. Shreyas Iyer was dimissed for a well-made 82.
At the end of day 3, Suryakumar Yadav and captain Aditya Tare remained unbeaten on 45 and 13 respectively. Mumbai were 208 for 3 and have a healthy lead of 108 runs. An exciting match is on cards with two more days left.
If Mumbai bats through the fourth day and establishes a lead of over 350 plus, then Gujarat might have to play cautiously to avoid defeat. On the other hand, if Gujarat bowlers dismiss the Mumbai batsmen cheaply, the Gujarat batsmen can aim for an outright victory.
