Ranji Trophy 2022-23: Sarfaraz Khan’s ton keeps Mumbai in command against Tamil Nadu

Mumbai had lost its top-three batters when Sarfaraz Khan walked out to bat, but his century and partnership with Tanush Kotian took his team’s lead to 337 runs.

Published : Jan 04, 2023 18:07 IST , MUMBAI

Mumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan scored his 12th first-class century - ninth for Mumbai - making the Tamil Nadu bowlers struggle to find breakthroughs.
Mumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan scored his 12th first-class century - ninth for Mumbai - making the Tamil Nadu bowlers struggle to find breakthroughs. | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini / The Hindu
infoIcon

Mumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan scored his 12th first-class century - ninth for Mumbai - making the Tamil Nadu bowlers struggle to find breakthroughs. | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini / The Hindu

Sarfaraz Khan took a single off R Sai Kishore, jumped in the air, waved his bat towards the Mumbai dressing room and screamed, “Come on boys, come on…”

He followed it up by executing Sidhu Moosewala’s signature step - smacking his thigh and pointing his finger towards the sky - at the Brabourne Stadium on Wednesday as Mumbai rode on his classy 162 to take a mammoth 337-run lead in a Ranji Trophy fixture against Tamil Nadu.

Mumbai had lost its top-three batters when Sarfaraz walked out to bat on Tuesday afternoon, and with Tamil Nadu’s pacers bowling short-pitched deliveries, not many expected Mumbai to turn the tide and end its first innings at 481. But Sarfaraz and Tanush Kotian made it happen!

Resuming with a slender lead of 39, Sarfaraz and Kotian (71, 114b, 8x4, 1x6) took lessons from the opening day and backed themselves before forging a 167-run partnership for the seventh wicket in 202 balls.

Sarfaraz started the proceedings with a boundary towards the third man to bring up his half-century. In a baffling decision, Tamil Nadu introduced Ashwin Crist, who ripped apart Mumbai’s top-order on the opening day, only in the 11th over, and by then Sarfaraz and Kotian had settled in.

Over the last couple of seasons, Sarfaraz has been Mumbai’s run machine and things were no different this time around as he scored his 12th first-class century - ninth for Mumbai - making the Tamil Nadu bowlers struggle to find breakthroughs.

However, a while before lunch, Kotian was run out and soon after, Tushar Deshpande was caught behind by N. Jagadeesan off a Sai Kishore delivery as Mumbai lost a couple of quick wickets. But Sarfaraz stood firm to ensure there were no further slip-ups before lunch.

In the second session, just before Sarfaraz Khan reached his 150, there was a run-out scare.

But as the third umpire’s decision went in favour of the home team, Sarfaraz raised his bat amid loud cheers from his team-mates. He waved the willow towards his father and coach Naushad Khan, who watched the proceedings from the club lawns, and then went on bolstering the innings with Mohit Avasthi, before being caught behind off a H Trilok Nag delivery.

Mumbai was 389 for 9 then, but Avasthi, who brought up his first first-class half-century, added 92 runs for the last-wicket partnership with Siddharth Raut and put Tamil Nadu on the mat.

Proving that there were no demons in the pitch, the tail-enders scripted a tale of success and helped the home side extend its lead before Avasthi was caught by covers off a L Vignesh delivery for 69.

After Tamil Nadu bowlers failed to capitalise on a good start, the visiting side had a daunting task in the second innings, but the openers once again failed to keep going as Jagadeesan nicked a Deshpande delivery, offering a catch to Yashasvi Jaiswal at third slip after a 28-ball-27 run knock.

Though Deshpande and Avasthi bowled at the right length, Tamil Nadu managed to end the day at 62/1, with B Sai Sudarshan (16) and Baba Aparajith (18) remaining unbeaten. Trailing by 275 runs, Tamil Nadu has a mountain to climb, and it would be hoping to take lessons from the first innings and show some might.

Ahead of this game, there were apprehensions of self-doubt creeping in the Mumbai camp after its defeat against Saurashtra in the last outing, but making the most of the home conditions, the players have proved their captain Ajinkya Rahane’s pre-match comments true: “such questions are irrelevant”!

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment