Ranji Trophy 2023-24: Mulani fifer puts Mumbai in control, enforces follow-on against Andhra on Day 3

Thanks to Mulani’s star act (6/65) – supported by veteran Dhawal Kulkarni – Mumbai first staged a collapse to wind up Andhra’s first innings for 184 at lunch.

FILE - Mulani, especially, varied his length and trajectory to near-perfection as the Andhra batters found him virtually unplayable. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI/The Hindu

Shams Mulani with left-arm spin starred with his 11th five-wicket haul in First Class cricket as Mumbai enforced a follow-on against Andhra and routed half of its batters in the second essay to end Day Three on the brink of a second consecutive outright win in the Ranji Trophy Group B.

Thanks to Mulani’s star act (6/65) – supported by veteran Dhawal Kulkarni – Mumbai first staged a collapse to wind up Andhra’s first innings for 184 at lunch. After a hefty 211-run lead, captain Ajinkya Rahane asked Andhra to bat again after the break and Mulani returned with three scalps as Andhra found itself in a spot of bother at 166 for five, still 45 runs behind forcing Mumbai openers to pad up again, at the end of the penultimate day’s play at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground.

Had it not been for Shreyas Iyer dropping a dolly at mid-off to give Nithish Kumar Reddy a reprieve in the dying minutes, it would have handed Mulani his sixth 10-wicket match-haul. More importantly, it would have had Andhra reeling on the mat, with the knockout punch remaining on the last day.

Opener D.B. Prashanth Kumar and captain Ricky Bhui started on a confident note in the morning. But Kulkarni – having changed ends after a short four-over burst at the start – drew the first blood as he trapped Prashanth in front of the wicket in the 15th over of the morning.

That dismissal set the tone for a defining collapse as Andhra lost four wickets for just three runs in 35 balls to be left tottering at 132 for seven. Kulkarni moved the ball both ways and Mulani targeted the stumps, as both were rewarded handsomely for their ploy.

Mulani, especially, varied his length and trajectory to near-perfection as the Andhra batters found him virtually unplayable.

His dismissals of captain Bhui and K.V. Sasikanth were a delight for any left-arm spinner.

Had it not been for wicketkeeper UMS Girinath’s 27-run last-wicket stand with PVSN Raju, Andhra would have been made to bat again in the first session itself.

In the second essay, Girinath was promoted after to No. 3 after Mohit Avasthi got Prashant out cheaply. But Mulani was at his best again, as he sneaked through Girinath’s defence off the first ball. At 17 for three, with Mulani on a roll, Andhra was in danger of folding up on the third day itself.

But Hanuma Vihari and Ricky Bhui steadied the ship, with Shaik Rasheed scoring an unbeaten fifty after Bhui’s dismissal led to an outburst of emotions by both him and Vihari. Had Vihari not gloved a pull off left-arm pacer Royston Dias in the last hour, Andhra may have sensed an opportunity to give itself a chance of a miraculous comeback.

Now, it appears that all it can do is deprive Mumbai of a bonus point.