Hours after joining his team after his maiden stint in India’s dressing room, Rajat Patidar (67, 35b, 6x4, 5x6) set the stage alight with a whirlwind knock. Venkatesh Iyer (57, 35b, 5x4, 2x6) continued his exploits on the second successive day to set Madhya Pradesh a challenging 182 on the board against Mumbai.
However, the Mumbai top-order made a mockery of the MP bowling to overhaul the stiff target in just 17 overs to register its second successive win in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Group A at the Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium in Rajkot.
Such was the audacity of the Mumbai batters that the lowest strike among the five batters who batted was 150. But Yashasvi Jaiswal was the top-scorer of the innings, shining bright with an unbeaten 66 (44b, 5x4, 4x6).
The fact that Mumbai batters shone brighter than the floodlights was evident in the fact that MP was forced to use eight bowlers, none of whom barring Shubham Sharma being able to contain an on-song batting line-up.
Prithvi Shaw (29, 12b, 5x4, 1x6) and captain Ajinkya Rahane (30, 17b, 4x4, 1x6) - who tonked Kuldeep Sen for 19 runs in his only over before being retired hurt with a hamstring injury - started the onslaught. Shaw and Jaiswal took it to the next level before Sarfaraz Khan (30, 18b, 3x4, 1x6) and Aman Khan (21 n.o., 11b, 1x4, 2x6), the burly hitters, finished the game to give Mumbai a sense of having avenged the loss in the Ranji Trophy final.
The second victory in as many days meant Mumbai has already doubled its points tally from a disastrous campaign in the T20 tournament last season.
Comments
SHARE