Tanush Kotian and Shams Mulani continued to sizzle with the bat and the ball as the duo starred in Mumbai’s remarkable comeback win against Goa in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group D.
No doubt Mumbai was up against Goa, considered among the also-rans of domestic cricket. Still, the manner in which Mumbai bounced back after conceding a 164-run lead in the first innings and then having lost seven wickets with a lead of just 44 runs to win with a sizable margin was nothing short of an iconic comeback synonymous with Mumbai cricket during its glorious past.
Starting the last day with a lead of 158 runs and three wickets to spare, Kotian - with Mohit Avasthi’s vital support - stretched Mumbai’s lead beyond Goa’s reach at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Despite missing out on a hundred by just two runs, Kotian’s heroics meant Mumbai declared its second essay at 395 for nine, leaving Goa a target of 232 runs in 62 overs.
The spin duo of Mulani and Kotian - whose 116-run association for the eighth wicket had given Mumbai the upper hand - then ran through the inexperienced Goa batting line-up. Despite being frustrated by the last pair of Amulya Pandrekar and Amit Yadav, Mumbai wrapped up the game in the first over of the last hour. Kotian, the star of the day, fittingly ended the game, with Yadav being caught by Sachin Yadav at forward
short-leg.
When Mumbai finally declared after adding 73 runs in 26 overs, Goa openers Sumiran Amonkar and Amogh Desai saw off the awkward four overs heading into lunch. However, the afternoon session saw Mumbai spelling doom for Goa batters, picking eight wickets for 62 runs.
With the red soil offering consistent turn and bounce, Mulani used the hard ball to his advantage. Veteran Dhawal Kulkarni, who bowled a spirited spell, started the downfall with Amonkar being adjudged leg before in the fourth over after the break.
Mulani then drew Suyash Prabhudessai out of his crease only to see Aditya Tare complete a clean stumping off a ball that turned away. In his next over, Mulani was rewarded again, with Yadav pulling off a stunning catch at silly point off an uppish cut by Amogh Yadav.
From 17 for three, the Goa middle-order could never recover as it crumbled under Mumbai’s relentless bowling and pressure tactics in the field.
Minutes after tea, when Mulani trapped Lakshay Garg with an arm-ball, at 80 for nine, with more than 32 overs remaining, the writing was on the wall. However, just like last week against Saurashtra, the last pair hung around, frustrating Mumbai heading into the last hour.
The moment, Yadav lobbed one to Yadav off Kotian, off the last ball of the first over after the last drinks break, it led to jubilation on the field for Mumbai and relief on the bench for the support staff.
Scorecard:
MUMBAI - 1st innings: 163
GOA - 1st innings: 327
MUMBAI - 2nd innings: Prithvi Shaw lbw b Misal 44, Aakarshit Gomel c Misal b Wagh 15, Dhawal Kulkarni b Yadav 3, Sachin Yadav c Kerkar b Ranjane 19, Ajinkya Rahane c Ranjane b Yadav 56, Sarfaraz Khan lbw b
Misal 48, Aditya Tare c Kauthankar b Misal 8, Shams Mulani c Desai b Garg 50, Tanush Kotian c Desai b Pandrekar 98, Mohit Avasthi (not out) 26, Prashant Solanki (not out) 4
Extras (b-12, lb-9, nb-2, w-1) 24 Total (for 9 wkts. decl., 132 overs) 395
Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-59, 3-87, 4-93, 5-175, 6-198, 7-208, 8-324, 9-384
GOA bowling: Garg 16-5-44-0, Yadav 43-5-130-2, Misal 36-7-102-3, Pandrekar 19-0-53-1, Wagh 9-0-22-1, Ranjane 9-1-23-1
GOA - 2nd innings: Sumiran Amonkar lbw b Kulkarni 4, Amogh Desai c Yadav b Mulani 10, Suyash Prabhudessai st Tare b Mulani 1, Snehal Kauthankar lbw b Kulkarni 4, Darshan Misal lbw b Kotian 14, Shubham Ranjane b Mulani 10, Eknath Kerkar c Yadav b Kotian 10, Shreekant Wagh c Rahane b Mulani 14, Lakshay Garg b Mulani 0, Amulya Pandrekar (not out) 23, Amit Yadav c Yadav Kotian 19.
Extras (b-2, lb-1) 3
Total (All out, 48 overs) 112
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-10, 3-17, 4-21, 5-41, 6-55, 7-55, 8-63, 9-80
MUMBAI bowling: Mulani 22-6-60-5, Kulkarni 11-5-12-2, Kotian 13-4-29-3, Solanki 1-0-3-0, Avasthi 1-0-5-0
Result: Mumbai won by 119 runs
Player of the match: Shams Mulani
Points: Mumbai 6 (9 from 2), Goa 0 (1 from 2).
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