When Shivam Dube (101 batting, 95b, 10x4, 5x6) reached his second century of the season on Friday with a single, the celebrations were subdued. He raised his bat, slowly walked towards the non-striker’s end to hug Shardul Thakur, and then quietly went about his business.
Mumbai was reeling at 60 for four when Dube walked in. Fortunately for the home side, things didn’t look that grim owing to Shardul’s six-for (6 for 21) earlier, which saw Assam reduced to 84 in the first innings.
As the day progressed, Dube took things in his stride and forged a crucial 103-run partnership with Shams Mulani for the sixth wicket to ensure Mumbai ended the day at 217 for six, with a lead of 133 runs.
Returning to the team after a break, Dube seemed to be in no hurry. He aimed to rebuild with captain Ajinkya Rahane, who looked to be in rhythm before being given out for obstructing the field.
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Rahane was batting on 18 when he drove fast bowler Dibakar Johori down to mid-on and took off for a single, only to be denied by Dube. Rahane scampered back and got in the way of a throw from mid-on fielder Denish Das. Assam appealed and Rahane was given his marching orders on the fourth ball of the 25th over. Tea was taken two balls early, with Mumbai reeling at 102 for five.
There was a twist in the tale as Assam withdrew the appeal. According to the rule, an appeal for obstructing the field can be withdrawn before the next ball is bowled. However, Rahane could not capitalise on the opportunity and lasted just 18 balls post Tea and added four runs to his tally before being cleaned up by Johori.
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That brought the focus back on Dube, and he partnered with Mulani to guide Mumbai to safer waters. While Mulani rotated the strike, Dube targeted Assam’s spinners. As the wicket eased out, Dube did not spare any of Assam’s bowlers.
If the final two sessions of the day belonged to Dube, it was Shardul who dominated the first half. On a surface that offered enough bounce early on, Mumbai’s decision to field proved right as Shardul ripped apart Assam’s top-order.
While he claimed three wickets, conceding just 16 runs in the first spell, Shardul furrowed the tail in his second spell and claimed three more wickets, giving away just 22 runs. With Mulani joining forces with a couple of wickets, none of the Assam batters could step up and rebuild.
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