The venue may have changed. So did the opposition. But the trend of Mumbai’s batting continued in the Ranji Trophy final against Vidarbha. The top-six caved in yet again before the lower order – led by the fearless Shardul Thakur – gave respectability to the total on a day dominated by bowlers.
Had it not been Shardul’s counter-attacking 75, Mumbai would have struggled to put on 224 after being inserted in to bat on Day One at the Wankhede Stadium. Him and Dhawal Kulkarni, featuring in his last match for Mumbai as injured Mohit Avasthi’s replacement, then left Vidarbha reeling at 31 for three at stumps.
The Mumbai essay was a remarkable session of two stints of batters’ domination on either side of bowling supremacy. Prithvi Shaw’s trademark cover-drives off Umesh Yadav and Bhupen Lalwani’s flicks through midwicket were a treat to the eyes as the Sunday crowd built up in anticipation of a run-feast.
Yash Thakur – the first-change pacer, struck by jagging one away from Lalwani and forced him into an edge to captain Akshay Wadkar.
The dismissal triggered a collapse as Vidarbha picked six for 30 to leave Mumbai reeling at 111 for six from 81 for no loss.
Harsh Dubey – the left-arm spinner who was brought in place of Akshay Wakhare – struck gold in a long spell having got rid of Prithvi Shaw , Musheer Khan and captain Ajinkya Rahane.
Umesh Yadav found Shreyas Iyer in no-man’s land at the crease to be caught-behind. In came Shardul and took the bowlers head on.
Tushar Deshpande hung around as the duo’s 42-run association helped Mumbai cross the 200-run mark.
The scores:
Mumbai — 1st innings: Prithvi Shaw b Dubey 46 (63b, 5x4), Bhupen Lalwani c Wadkar b Thakur 37 (64b, 4x4), Musheer Khan lbw b Dubey 6 (12b, 1x4), Ajinkya Rahane c Shorey b Dubey 7 (35b), Shreyas Iyer c Karun b Umesh 7 (15b, 1x4), Hardik Tamore c Wadkar b Thakare 5 (41b), Shams Mulani lbw b Thakur 13 (37b, 1x6), Shardul Thakur c Dubey b Umesh 75 (69b, 8x4, 3x6), Tanush Kotian c Wadkar b Thakur 8 (12b, 1x4), Tushar Deshpande run out 14 (34b, 2x4), Dhawal Kulkarni (not out) 0 (7b); Extras (b-2, lb-2, nb-2): 6; Total (in 64.3 overs): 224.
Fall of wickets: 1-81 (Lalwani, 19.6 overs), 2-89 (Shaw, 22.2), 3-92 (Musheer, 24.2), 4-99 (Shreyas, 27.5), 5-111 (Tamore, 37.4), 6-111 (Rahane, 38.3), 7-154 (Shams, 47.4), 8-176 (Kotian, 51.4), 9-218 (Deshpande, 62.1).
Vidarbha bowling: Umesh 13.3-2-43-2, Thakare 16-6-36-1, Dubey 20-3-62-3, Thakur 11-2-54-3, Sarvate 4-0-25-0.
Vidarbha — 1st innings: Atharva Taide (batting) 21 (46b, 2x4), Dhruv Shorey lbw b Shardul 0 (3b), Aman Mokhade c Tamore b Kulkarni 8 (15b, 2x4), Karun Nair c Tamore b Kulkarni 0 (12b), Aditya Thakare (batting) 0 (4b); Extras (nb-2): 2; Total (for three wkts. in 13 overs): 31.
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Shorey, 2.3), 2-20 (Mokhade, 7.2), 3-24 (Karun, 11.3).
Mumbai bowling: Shardul 5-0-14-1, Kulkarni 6-2-9-2, Deshpande 2-0-8-0.
Toss: Vidarbha.
