Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Shreyas Iyer and Siddhesh Lad’s centuries put Mumbai on top against Odisha on opening day

Riding on Lad and Shreyas’ unbroken partnership of 231 runs off 298 balls, Mumbai ended the opening day at 385 for three.

FILE PHOTO: Last week’s break didn’t affect Shreyas a wee bit as he literally carried on from his hundred against Maharashtra at the same venue in his last innings. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU

Odisha captain Govinda Poddar sprung up a surprise early on by inserting Mumbai on a batting-friendly surface that had a tinge of live grass on it.

That turned out to be the only surprise of the day, however, with Mumbai making Odisha pay dearly at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi (92, 124b, 13x4, 3x6), the teenaged opener playing his second First-Class match, broke the back of the Odisha bowlers.

While Raghuvanshi missed his maiden hundred by eight runs, Siddhesh Lad (116 n.o., 234b, 14x4) and Shreyas Iyer (152 n.o., 164b, 18x4, 4x6) then built on it by making an ordinary bowling unit look mediocre.

Riding on Lad and Shreyas’ unbroken partnership of 231 runs off 298 balls, Mumbai ended the opening day at 385 for three. The centurions will hope to convert their milestones into glorious innings and bat Odisha out of the contest.

Last week’s break didn’t affect Shreyas a wee bit as he literally carried on from his hundred against Maharashtra at the same venue in his last innings. Lad, meanwhile, made the most of his promotion to No. 3 – Mumbai’s third No. 3 in four games this season – by ending a six-year wait for a First-Class hundred.

While Raghuvanshi drove against the pace trio with finesse, Lad was solid in his defence. Once the duo ensured the damage of losing Ayush Mhatre early – missing a full and straight one by Suryakant Pradhan – was curtailed by batting patiently till Lunch, Raghuvanshi started opening his shoulders.

On the cusp of his hundred, his attempt to chase a wide one by veteran Biplab Samantray resulted in an inside-edge on to the stumps. Off the next ball, Ajinkya Rahane was dubiously adjudged lbw. From there on, till the end of the day’s play, it was Shreyas and Lad’s show.

While Lad was patient, Shreyas was audacious against both pace and spin, with national chief selector Ajit Agarkar watching the proceedings. Shreyas cut loose after Tea, crossing Lad in the 80s and raised his bat before his senior partner.

SCOREBOARD

Mumbai – 1st innings: Angkrish Raghuvanshi b Samantray 92, Ayush Mhatre lbw b Suryakant 18, Siddhesh Lad (batting) 116, Ajinkya Rahane lbw b Samantray 0, Shreyas Iyer (batting) 152; Extras (b-4, lb-2, w-1): 7; Total (for three wkts. in 90 overs) 385.

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-154, 3-154.

Odisha bowling: Suryakant 12-4-36-1, Debabrata 12-1-55-0, Roul 14-0-69-0, Harshit Rathod 24-1-94-0, Samantray 7-2-36-2, Biswal 4-0-28-0, Poddar 17-0-61-0.

Toss: Odisha.