The venue may have changed. The opposition and the occasion too. But the trend of Mumbai’s batting continued in the Ranji Trophy final against Vidarbha. The top-six caved in yet again before the lower order – led by the fearless Shardul Thakur – gave respectability to the total on a day dominated by the bowlers.
Had it not been for Shardul’s counterattacking 75, Mumbai would have struggled to put on 224 after being inserted into bat on Day One at the Wankhede Stadium. Shardul and Dhawal Kulkarni, featuring in his last match for Mumbai as Mohit Avasthi’s injury replacement, then made use of the late-afternoon breeze to rattle Vidarbha’s top-order.
At 31 for three, and nightwatcher Aditya Thakare as opener Atharva Taide’s ally, Vidarbha knows it has a long way to claw its way back into the game for the second time in as many days.
The Mumbai essay was a remarkable session of two stints of batters’ domination on either side of bowling supremacy. When Prithvi Shaw and Bhupen Lalwani started effortlessly caressing the ball, it looked like Mumbai would make Vidarbha pay dearly for opting to field.
Shaw’s trademark cover-drives off veteran Umesh Yadav and Lalwani’s flicks through midwicket were a treat to the eyes as the Sunday crowd built up in anticipation of a run-feast.
However, soon after the drinks break, Yash Thakur – the first-change pacer, struck by jagging one away from Lalwani and force him into an edge to captain Akshay Wadkar.
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Starting with the dismissal, Vidarbha came back into the game in a big way, snapping six for 30 in 19 overs to leave Mumbai reeling at 111 for six from 81 for no loss.
Harsh Dubey – the left-arm spinner who was brought in place of veteran offie Akshay Wakhare – struck gold in a long spell that read 14-2-40-3. He got rid of Prithvi Shaw (missed a sweep to be bowled), Musheer Khan (played across the line to be lbw) and captain Ajinkya Rahane (aerial drive caught sharply at mid-off).
Umesh Yadav found Shreyas Iyer in no-man’s land at the crease to be caught-behind and Hardik Tamore ran out of patience to poke outside off.
In came Shardul and took the bowlers head on and drove through the line elegantly. Even after losing Shams Mulani and in-form Tanush Kotian, Shardul continued to use his feet against and going at full tilt against the pace trio. He was fortunate to have had three close shaves in the 40s.
Tushar Deshpande hung around as the duo’s 42-run association helped Mumbai cross the 200-run mark. Only after Deshpande was run out at the non-striker’s end when a Shardul straight drive kissed Umesh’s foot and crashed into the stumps did Shardul start taking unwanted risks before running out of luck off Umesh.
In the hour-long burst then, Shardul and Kulkarni bent their back to peg Vidarbha back. The duo targeted the outside edge relentlessly to draw nicks off the blade of Aman Mokhade along with the two guest players – Dhruv Shorey and Karun Nair.
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