Irani Cup 2024-25 Day 2 HIGHLIGHTS: MUM 536/9 vs ROI; Sarfaraz scores double century ensures Mumbai bats through the day

Mumbai made sure this game is out of Rest of India’s reach. Sarfaraz Khan’s double hundred consolidated on the stability that Ajinkya Rahane provided while Tanush Kotian made 64 and played the perfect supporting role.

With Sarfaraz unbeaten on 221, Mumbai opting to bat on Day 3 should not surprise anyone. We’ll be back with the action on Thursday.

Goodbye!

FOUR! Just a hint of room from Suthar and Shardul slaps it through covers.

CHOPPED ON! Shardul defends a delivery from Saransh on his back foot. He comfortably blocks it but it bounces and rolls back onto the stumps.

Shardul Thakur b Saransh 36(59)

Juned Khan is the last man. Three slips and a short leg for him. Rest of India goes for a review. Juned pokes outside off and is beaten. The keeper and Ishan Kishan are convinced there is an edge. The UltraEdge disagrees and Juned survives.

That will be Stumps.

Overpitched from Saransh Jain and Shardul duly dispatches it through covers for FOUR. Shardul dances down and slogs through the on side. Shashwat Rawat wallops across from long on and prevents a boundary, keeps it to just one. Sarfaraz with a single to third man.

Suthar from over the wicket to Shardul. He bowls outside the leg stump line and Shardul sweeps to pick a single.

Saransh Jain with possibly the last over of the day. Shardul drives to long off for a single. Sarfaraz punches the second to long on, gets another run. Two for Shardul with a cut. A long delay in the over as the Mumbai pair calls for drinks. Sarfaraz again has some trouble with cramps.

There’s still time for another over.

SIX! Shardul steps out and heaves Suthar down the ground. FOUR! Shardul sweeps the very next delivery through fine leg.

Mukesh starts the over with a wide. FOUR! Sarfaraz cuts and breaches the gap between third man and deep point.

Prasidh starts with a wide. Sarfaraz not wanting to take a single. Maybe looking to go big. And he does exactly that. FOUR! Cuts it past point to the ropes. SIX! He pulls it above fine leg who sees it go over him into the stands. 

Mukesh into the attack. Two singles to start it off. Bowler responds with two bouncers which Shardul ducks under. A small drinks break and play resumes. 500 up for Mumbai!

REVIEW FOR CAUGHT BEHIND! Umpire has given it but Sarfaraz challenged it. And he wine it. No spike seen on Ultraedge and the umpire has signalled not out. 

Sarfaraz takes a single to register the highest score for Mumbai in the Irani Cup - 200. Just two runs off this Prasidh over. 

Suthar comes in the next over. Shardul drives it deep to the off side for two runs.

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Sarfaraz Khan becomes fourth-youngest player to score double hundred in Irani Cup

Sarfaraz’s double century was the highest score by a Mumbai batter in the Irani Cup, bettering the 195 runs managed by Ramnath Parkar in 1972.

200!! A single for Sarfaraz to get to a special double hundred. 

FOUR! Shardul welcomes Prasidh with a shot over backward point to the ropes. The bowler responds with a bouncer in the next. No run after that. 

Sarfaraz starts with a FOUR! Comes off the inside edge.Prasidh on the ropes with a great effort to stop to but couldn’t hold on. A single and Sarfaraz is just one run short of a double century. 

Suthar returns. Sarfaraz pushes the ball to the leg side for a single. Shardul gives the strike back to Sarfaraz. SIX! Goes over mid-wicket for a maximum. He gets to 190. A review for caught behind at the end of the over. But ROI loses it. 

FOUR! Sarfaraz starts strong and pulls it above deep square leg. Falls just short of the ropes. A quick single but could have been a run-out at the non-striker’s end. OUT! Tanush Kotian did not judge Prasidh’s slow ball and it beats him to the stumps.

Tanush Kotian b Prasidh Krishna 64 (124)

TWO FOR TWO! Avasthi hit pulm on the pads in his first ball and umpire has raised the finger. Appealed by the new batter but in vain.

Mohit Avasthi lbw b Prasidh Krishna 0 (1)

Hat-trick ball but Shardul gets off the mark immediately with a single. Seven runs and two wickets off the over. 

Both teams are back and Prasidh starts the third session. Keeping it tight with five dots. FOUR! Cheeky boundary by Kotian, who edges it just short of Padikkal at slip. 

Saransh Jain with the ball. Great fielding by the fielder at the boundary line to save two runs. Sarfaraz now reaches the 180-run mark. Five runs off the over

The two quick wickets in the last session brought some respite for Rest of India but that has now been trampled on by the great defiance from Sarfaraz and Kotian. Their stand is worth 169 runs now. Mumbai will want to bat for a little more time and perhaps declare once Sarfaraz completes his double century.

Kotian picks a boundary off Dayal. He drives it to the left of mid off but the fielder fumbles his diving save and the ball sneaks through. Seven runs from the over.

Credit: Sandeep Saxena

FIFTY for Tanush Kotian. A short ball from Dayal and Kotian pulls it away through mid wicket. He’s got his half century in 103 balls.

Credits: Sandeep Saxena

Pace returns with Yash Dayal. Kotian slashes at a wide delivery and the ball lands just short of Ishan Kishan at gully. A single taken. FOUR! A gentle tap from Sarfaraz between slips and gully by using the pace.

Sarfaraz just struggling a bit with cramps here. He’s gotten slightly slower between the wickets but that is still not stopping this pair from rotating strike. Very little purchase for Saransh and Suthar.

Sarfaraz is done in flight by Saransh. A loud stumping appeal from Jurel but a third umpire check shows he has his foot behind the line. Back to back FOURS come from Sarfaraz’s reverse sweep who is now on 163.

Over no. 111. Suthar continues. Hits Sarfaraz’s pads but was comfortably going down leg stump. Pushes it down the ground for a single. Just one run this over. 

Suthar keeping it tight. Sarfaraz guides it behind point for a run, bringing up 400 for Mumbai. Kotian takes a single off the last ball. 

Saransh with ball. Kotian takes a single in the first ball. Sarfaraz tries to sweep the ball but is picked up by deep square leg. And Sarfaraz is down. Looks like he has a bad case of cramps as he limps to complete the run. Physios are out to help him. Play resumes, Sarfaraz is okay to continue. 

Short leg in place for Sarfaraz. Tries to get a run but was denied by the fielder. Gets a single on the third ball. Kotain pushes the ball through point for two runs. 

Saransh with the ball. And that’s 150 for Sarfaraz! He gets to the mark with a single. Both batters finding gaps to sneak in singles. Three from the over.

Drinks break.

Sarafarz moves forward and defends to square leg for a single off Suthar. Kotian drives it off side for a single. FOUR and SIX! Sarfaraz piling on the runs and moves to the 140s. An expensive 13-run over for Suthar. 

STARTS WITH A SIX! Sarfaraz flicks the ball over mid-wicket with ease. Saransh was welcomed with a maximum. Kotian drives it through extra cover but well fielded to save two runs. Nine coming off the over. 

The runs have dried up now. Just one boundary in the last four overs which Sarfaraz got with a drive against Mukesh. Sarfaraz is on 128 now.

Tanush Kotian is adament on not giving anything to the bowlers at the other end. He has stuck with his defence and is batting on 30 off 65.

A slight check on the run flow now from Rest of India. Suthar has gone straighter with his lines, keeping it stump to stump and not allowing Sarfaraz the length to drive. 

First ball after lunch, and Sarfaraz gets going right away with a drive between covers and mid off. Some turn on offer for Suthar as he comes from over the wicket for the right-hander.

Sarfaraz upper cuts against Prasidh for his second FOUR of the session. 

Manav Suthar to bowl the first over after Lunch. Sarafaraz Khan on strike. Tanush Kotian batting on 26.

That’s Lunch.

MUM 338/6 in 94 overs

Tanush Kotian and centurion Sarfaraz Khan return to the pavilion with a 50+ run partnership. 

A single to begin Suthar’s over. Doesn’t allow another. 

Sudharsan has been handed the ball. Five runs off the over.

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Irani Cup 2024-25: Sarfaraz Khan scores hundred for Mumbai against Rest of India

The Mumbai batter crossed the mark in 149 balls, bringing up his 15th century in First-Class cricket.

Suthar returns. Starts with a single. Sarfaraz back on strike. FOUR! He cuts it between the keeper and gully to find the ropes. DROPPED! Sarfaraz mistimes that and it goes high up. Prasidh Krishna the fielder running towards it but drops it. 

Dayal with the ball. A routine single on the first ball to give strike back to Sarfaraz. A single again. Kotian hits it to deep backward point for a run. An appeal for LBW but captain isn’t interested. 100! Sarfaraz Khan completes a double to get to a hard-fought hundred. 

FOUR! Dayal oversteps on his first delivery and has to see Kotian drive him through covers too. A quick single to mid off next. FOUR more! This time it is Sarfaraz who drives an over-pitched delivery through covers.

Kotian takes a single off Mukesh’s first ball. Sarfaraz on strike. Mukesh using the short ball this over, off Sarafaraz’s pad to the leg side. Goes down leg this time. Fifth ball, bouncer to the keeper. Just the one run. 

Two FOURS for Kotian. He pulls at Mukesh’s bouncer to pick a boundary through mid wicket. The second is driven through covers.

Sarfaraz cover drives Prasidh. He is on 84 now. That’s 300 for Mumbai. A single to end the over.

FOUR! Sarfaraz opens his bat face and guides the ball over the slips against Prasidh. Seven runs from the over.

Rest of India has taken the second new ball. Mukesh to bowl with it. Starts with four byes down the leg side. Clean bowled! A beaut from Mukesh! Pitches in off stump line and changes the angle to crash into the off stump.

Shams Mulani b Mukesh 5(14)

Tanush Kotian is the new batter. Just two runs in the next over from Prasidh Krishna.

Suthar returns. Short leg in place for Mulani. FOUR! Gets an edge and beats first slip to the ropes. Leaves the final ball. Just the boundary off the over. 

Dayal starts the over with an angle delivery going away from the batter. No ball! Sarfaraz takes a single. Dayal with a short ball to Rahane, goes down leg side. A review for caught behind! Short ball goes above Rahane and it seems like Jurel heard a noise. 

OUT! The wicket is given after a spike was seen as it passed Rahane’s gloves. Misses out on a hundred by only three runs..

Ajinkya Rahane c Jurel b Yash Dayal 97 (234)

Shams Mulani the new batter in. Mulani drives it to mid-off for a single. Big over for Rest of India with a much-needed breakthrough.

Yash Dayal returns. Rahane gets a single. A near miss! Sarfaraz gets an edge and it lands just short of Jurel behind. Just one run off the over. 

Rahane faces Suthar. Defends the first ball to the off-side. Looks to flick the fourth ball but misses it. A maiden over for the spinner. 

Mukesh bowls short and misses his line. Sarfaraz pulls it for FOUR! He pulls it away nicely, away from long leg. 

Prasidh into the attack. Good piece of fielding by Kishan at gully to save a run. Rahane sneaks in a quick single. FOUR! Sarfaraz makes good use of the full toss and hits it to the backward square leg fence. FOUR again! This time, between mid-on and mid-wicket to the ropes. 

Mukesh Kumar replaces Suthar. An outside edge for Sarfaraz as he tries to drive, it stays low and goes to the third man fielder, allowing one run. FOUR! Rahane clips off his pads. He moves to 95 now.

Prasidh Krishna into the attack now. Sarfaraz punches to deep covers for a single.

FOUR! Sarfaraz goes over mid off against Suthar and finds the fence.

Rahane square drives against Dayal but there is a man in the deep to keep that down to one run. Sarfaraz late cuts to third man for another single.

Rahane cuts the third delivery from Manav Suthar and gets two runs. That also gets this partnership to 100 runs.

Sarfaraz picks a leg bye on the first delivery of Yash Dayal’s over. Rahane drives the third to deep cover and picks a single.

Ajinkya Rahane will continue on 86 while Sarfaraz Khan is on 54.

RoI will have an eye on the second new ball which is just 12 overs away.

Rest of India: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ishan Kishan, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal.

Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Shams Mulani, Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, Ayush Mhatre, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Tamore (WK), Tanush Kotian, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Mohammad Juned Khan.

Where to watch Irani Cup 2024-25 match between Mumbai and Rest of India?

The live telecast of Duleep Trophy 2024 will be on Sports18 Network. It can be streamed on Jio Cinema app and website.