Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Mumbai eyes huge first-innings lead after Shreyas Iyer, Siddhesh Lad punish hapless Odisha on Day 2

Mumbai posted a gargantuan total before the bowlers tightened the noose around Odisha in an Elite Group A match at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground.

FILE PHOTO: Shreyas Iyer (233, 228b, 24x4, 9x6) and Siddhesh Lad (169 n.o., 337b, 17x4) converted their overnight association into Mumbai’s highest fourth-wicket stand.  | Photo Credit: THE HINDU

Two batters recorded their personal best in First-Class cricket, and the duo also created a record for Mumbai’s fourth wicket partnership in Ranji Trophy.

As a result, Mumbai posted a gargantuan total before the bowlers tightened the noose around Odisha in an Elite Group A match at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground.

Shreyas Iyer (233, 228b, 24x4, 9x6) and Siddhesh Lad (169 n.o., 337b, 17x4) converted their overnight association into Mumbai’s highest fourth-wicket stand. Suryansh Shedge (79 n.o., 36b, 7x4, 6x6) then served a timely reminder for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises with a cameo before Mumbai declared its first innings at 602 for four, 20 minutes post lunch.

Thanks to Himanshu Singh extracting bounce and turn, Mumbai then reduced Odisha to 146 for five despite Sandeep Pattnaik’s (73 n.o., 141b, 11x4, 1x6) fluent innings. Had Angkrish Raghuvanshi not grassed a regulation catch at second slip off Debabrata Pradhan’s edge to deprive Shardul Thakur of a second wicket, Odisha would have been in further disarray.

The primary damage, however, was done with the bat as Mumbai plundered 217 runs off just 203 balls before the declaration. While Shreyas was severe on the pacers - his sixes over cover in Sunil Roul’s consecutive overs that catapulted him from the 180s into the 190s - being the highlight of his innings.

With Lad rotating strike with ease, the stylish batter cut loose. But a tired shot off left-arm spinner Harshit Rathod resulted in him being sharply stumped by Aasirwad Swain.

Shedge then came in and took a toll on a hapless attack. While he raced to his 50 off just 23 balls, he was severe on Roul, clearing the boundary at will to help Mumbai hasten the declaration.

Thakur then got one to rise on opener Swastik Samal, who pulled it onto his stumps before Pattnaik and opener Anurag Sarangi put on an impressive three-figure partnership. Pattnaik had little discomfort in gauging the length of all the Mumbai bowlers and he drove in style.

Halfway into the last session, however, Himanshu, the lanky off-spinner, sneaked one through the left-handed Sarangi’s defence.

It triggered a mini-collapse as Mumbai picked three wickets for two runs in 16 balls. The onus will be on Pattnaik to stretch the innings on the third morning and wear out Mumbai’s four specialist bowlers as much as possible.

SCOREBOARD

Mumbai – 1st innings: Angkrish Raghuvanshi b Samantray 92, Ayush Mhatre lbw b Suryakant 18, Siddhesh Lad (not out) 169, Ajinkya Rahane lbw b Samantray 0, Shreyas Iyer st. Swain b Rathod 233, Suryansh Shedge (not out) 79; Extras (b-4, lb-6, w-1): 11; Total (for four wkts. decl. in 123.5 overs) 602.

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-154, 3-154, 4-508.

Odisha bowling: Suryakant 21-7-66-1, Debabrata 16-1-85-0, Roul 20-0-125-0, Rathod 30-1-136-1, Samantray 10-2-57-2, Biswal 4-0-28-0, Poddar 18.5-0-81-0, Samal 4-0-14-0.

Odisha – 1st innings: Anurag Sarangi b Himanshu 39, Swastik Samal b Shardul 0, Sandeep Pattnaik (batting) 73, Govinda Poddar c Tamore b Mulani 0, Biplab Samantray c Rahane b Himanshu 0, Kartik Biswal b Mulani 22, Debabrata Pradhan (batting) 7; Extras (b-5): 5; Total (for five wkts. in 49 overs): 146.

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-110, 3-111, 4-112, 5-137.

Mumbai bowling: Shardul 10-0-26-1, Dias 7-1-27-0, Shedge 4-0-14-0, Mulani 17-3-52-2, Himanshu 11-3-22-2.