Hello and welcome to Sportstar's HIGHLIGHTS of Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy 2021-22 Final between Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
MADHYA PRADESH 368/3 IN 123 OVERS AT STUMPS, TRAILS BY SIX RUNS
Slow burn cricket in this final session of play. Just 67 runs in 25 overs and MP is close on the heels of Mumbai at the end of day's play. It started off with a bang as Patidar raced to a 44-ball fifty before getting a reprieve as he was dismissed off a no-ball from Mulani. What followed were 27 dot balls as Patidar left anything pitching wide outside off. MP endured a drought of 36 dot balls before Dubey swept Mulani for four only to fall in the same over - Mumbai's second success of the day. MP clearly on top and barring any huge slip-ups, should seal this contest based on first innings lead. With six sessions remaining, all Mumbai can do is push for an outright win. See you for Day 4 action tomorrow at 9:30 AM IST. Goodbye till then!
MP 368/3 in 123 overs: Stellar boundary for Patidar. Too full on the pads by Kulkarni and he places it between the bowler and mid-on with pure timing for four. The deficit now in single-digits - just seven runs. Kulkarni is struggling with his runup and his line. Has kept it very wide outside off before sending down that half-volley on the pads. The following ball is so wide outside off it is called wide. A brief stop in play as Shrivastava calls for a change of his bat grip - which appears torn. MP six runs behind but would want to bat as much as it can to ensure there is no time and room for Mumbai to make a comeback and gun for an outright win. Maiden over from Mulani. Shrivastava seems a bit nervy with his footwork against the spinners. Deshpande replaces Kulkarni and continues with a benign wide outside the off line and Patidar keeps letting them go. Another maiden. Stumps.
MP 363/3 in 120 overs: Cracking shot by Patidar for four. Loose ball, Kotian darts in a half-volley outside off, and Patidar won't miss out on that. He takes a stride forward and powerfully drives that to beat mid-off. Now just 15 runs separate Mumbai and MP. Shrivastava plants his foot forward and drives through the covers for a couple more off Mulani. Suddenly, the runs seem to be coming thick and fast. Wonder what that lull, following Patidar's reprieve, was all about. Kulkarni is back with the ball in the 119th over - replacing Kotian. However, he looks uncomfortable as he ambles in gingerly at a gentle pace for his runup. He had walked off the field earlier after injuring his knee while fielding.
MP 353/3 in 116 overs: First runs for Shrivastava, who shimmies outside his crease and drives a flighted delivery from Mulani down the ground for four. Patidar collects a single, his first run in 27 balls, with a drive to mid-off as Kotian replaces Deshpande. Looks like Patidar has found his rhythm again. Goes inside his crease and punches a short one from Kotian wide of point for a boundary.
MP 341/3 in 112 overs: First run after 36 dot balls for MP as Dubey sweeps Mulani to the square leg boundary for four. OUT! Gone next ball and Mulani finally has a wicket. Coming over the wicket, pitched full on leg stump line, and turned away from Dubey, who got an outside edge trying to defend. The wicketkeeper did the rest. Yash Dubey c Hardik Tamore b Shams Mulani 133(336b 14x4). Aditya Shrivastava, the captain, comes in next. MP still behind by 33 runs.
MADHYA PRADESH 337/2 IN 111 OVERS Deshpande replaced Mulani, who has changed ends and come in place of Avasthi. Mumbai bowlers have strung together back-to-back maidens. MP trails by 37 runs. Patidar on 52 and Dubey on 129.
MADHYA PRADESH 337/2 IN 107 OVERS Rajat Patidar reaches a 44-ball 50 with a flick off Avasthi through midwicket for four. He seemed to have thrown his wicket away when he chased a wide ball from Mulani and was caught. But the left-arm spinner had overstepped and Patidar got a reprieve! Next over, Dubey played a gorgeous straight drive to add four more to his total.
Rajat Patidar falls for run-a-ball 52 but Mulani has overstepped! Patidar survives.
MADHYA PRADESH 325/2 IN 103 OVERS Patidar has already played some handsome looking shots in the short while he has spent at the crease. He played an inside-out cover drive off Kotian for four before executing an expansive drive off Mulani for four more. Patidar's not done with Kotian as he plays a delectable straight drive and a late cut to add eight more to his tally. MP eating away at the first-innings deficit in a jiffy. M. Pradesh trail by 49 runs.
MADHYA PRADESH 303/2 IN 99 OVERS Here's Mulani. Dubey on strike. Mulani still searching for his first wicket of the final while going at more than three runs an over. Patidar has looked positive during his short stay at the crease. Ominous signs for Mumbai.
Eight wickets in hand, and just 73 behind Mumbai's first-innings score. The evening session gets underway now.
TEA BREAK
MADHYA PRADESH 301/2 IN 98 OVERS AT TEA, TRAILS BY 73 RUNS
MP 301/2 in 98 overs: A couple for Patidar off the backfoot between mid-off and cover brings up 300 for MP in 97 overs. MP trails by 73 runs. Patidar 27 not out off 25 balls. Dubey 119 off 299. We will be back after the break at 3:00 PM IST. Stay tuned for the final session of the day, which could see MP take the lead or edge closer to it.
MP 298/2 in 96 overs: Three more fours for Patidar, who takes his tally to 24 off 18. He punches one off the backfoot and between cover and mid-off for four before collecting two consecutive two back to back boundaries off Avasthi. He gets an outside edge to the third man boundary driving a length ball before pressing forward to cream a drive through covers. Mulani comes into the attack next over.
MP 280/2 in 92 overs: Patidar, who walked in to chants of "RCB, RCB" from the crowds, gets going with a couple of glorious fours off Deshpande. First punches off the backfoot to find the gap between midwicket and mid-on before unleashing a crisp straight drive. Avasthi in the next over almost gets Dubey too as he poked outside off in the channel, almost edging it behind. Kulkarni has walked off the field as his knee seems to have got stuck in the field while diving at mid-on to stop the ball.
MP 270/2 in 89 overs: OUT! Mumbai finally gets the breakthrough and Avasthi will breath a sigh of relief. He wide outside off stump delivery, Shubham presses forward to push it and gets a faint edge to the wicketkeeper. A loose shot, probably a lapse in concentration. Umpires asks the celebrating Mumbai players to hold their horses as they want to check if it was taken cleanly. Shubham is walking even before the verdict is out. Just the previous ball there was a loud appeal for caught behind off a similar delivery that prompted a similar poke from Shubham. Avasthi had already started celebrating but the umpire stood firm.
MP 267/1 in 88 overs: Kulkarni and Deshpande have operated from either ends, with Avasthi replacing the latter for the 88th over. The runs have dried up a bit as the line have have become a bit more attacking and then lengths have been dragged back a tad. However, the batters are too well-settled at this point for these to pose a serious threat and are happy to defend. There was a vociferous appeal for caught behind down leg side and a loud LBW shout, both turned down, and Shaw sank to his knees in disbelief after the latter.
MP 261/1 in 84 overs: Shubham gets to his 100 off 186 balls with a crisp drive through the covers off a Tushar Deshpande half-volley outside off. Another overpitched ball by Kulkarni flies over the gully fielder as Shubham gets a thick outside edge. Runs are coming quickly now. Full again by Deshpande, shaping away a bit, Shubham leans into the drive and slices it wide of the gully fielder. Too straight and full this one and Shubham flicks it to square leg for a couple. 17 runs in the last four overs. The pacers have not been able to exploit the new ball yet and have bowled too full. MP behind by just 113 runs now.
MP 244/1 in 80 OVERS: The second new ball has been taken. Kulkarni will begin proceedings with it. Dubey and Shubham have picked up from where they left off after the lunch break. 16 runs have come in five overs after the break with Shubham smoothly driving Avasthi down the ground for a four. He is unbeaten on 97 off 182 balls. Dubey on 109.
MP 229/1 in 76 OVERS: Mohit attempts to go wide off the bowling crease and slide the ball in sharply to the batters who continue to present a solid bat.
Back for the second session. Yash Dubey and Shubham Sharma are back at the centre. Mohit Avasthi returns to the attack.
LUNCH: Terrific session for MP. Dubey and Sharma collect 105 runs in 34 overs. It has been a stroke-filled innings from both batters. Sharma is 12 shy of his hundred. Mumbai's bowling looked flat on the third morning, especially Mulani. There were a few lbw calls off Kotian's bowling but apart from that, MP are in complete control. Back after lunch at 12:40.
100! Yash Dubey gets to the three-figure mark with a well-executed sweep for four off Kotian, off 234 balls.
MP 223/1 IN 74 OVERS Kotian continues to ask questions. Another loud appeal for leg before, and not given. Dubey survives and two balls later, he slams one to deep midwicket for four more! Mulani meanwhile sticking to that fuller and outside leg line which is not paying dividends. Dubey exploits that line and carves a full toss through midwicket to enter the nineties.
MP 207/1 IN 70 OVERS Kotian bowled an eventful 67th. There were two loud appeals for leg before and a close caught behind chance. In between, Sharma stepped out and hit Kotian over his head for four. Both batters are into their eighties.
MP 194/1 IN 66 OVERS Mulani has been rendered ineffective by Shubham and Dubey. There was another run-out chance at the bowler's end and it was a direct hit from mid-off but Sharma was in safely. He then played a delectable late cut off Kotian to add four to his tally. The running between the wickets has been a highlight of this partnership. They've been pinching ones and twos with ease, playing the ball with soft hands into the gaps. Mumbai in desperate need of a breakthrough. M. Pradesh trail by 180 runs.
DRINKS
MP 181/1 IN 62 OVERS Offspinner Tanush Kotian has replaced Kulkarni. There was a run-out chance at the bowler's end. Shubham played the ball to Jaffer at mid-on and took off for a single. Jaffer had a shy at the stumps but the throw was wide. Dubey's single off Mulani has helped MP avoid the follow-on. They are still 193 behind Mumbai's first-innings total but Mumbai's feeling the heat. Mulani's getting some turn. He was excited for a caught behind, but not given! Sharma lifted the next ball over the bowler's head for six!
MP 171/1 IN 58 OVERS Mulani gets the rare ball to spin off the track. Sharma presses forward to defend but the ball goes past the edge. Apart from that, Dubey and Shubham have been immovable. Meanwhile, Dubey continues to collect fours off Kulkarni with a cut shot and a well controlled straight drive. MP now just four away from avoiding follow-on.
MP 156/1 IN 54 OVERS Mulani and Kulkarni bowling in tandem. There's nothing in the wicket to threaten the two set batters. MP going at just under 3 per over. No wickets lost in the first hour of the day. Dubey took his eyes off a Kulkarni bouncer and was hit flush on the grille. The ball deviated off the pitch. Dubey took a tumble, but he is fine. The physio has a chat. Meanwhile, Mumbai skipper Shaw has a word with the umpire regarding change of ball. Umpire Sharma runs the ball through the rings and sends Shaw back.
MP 151/1 IN 50 OVERS Shubham Sharma brings up the 100 stand with a beautiful cover drive off Tushar Deshpande. Sharma gets a reprieve in the same over when Armaan Jaffer dropped a simple chance at point. Sharma drove uppishly and it went to Jaffer but the ball burst through his hands. Double bowling change from Mumbai. Shams Mulani replaced Avasthi while Dhawal Kulkarni came in place of Deshpande. Mulani is yet to get some serious turn off this pitch.
MP 144/1 IN 46 OVERS Tushar Deshpande from the other end. Shubham Sharma latches on to a half volley and creams it through covers for his first four of the day. Two dots later, Sharma plays a square drive and takes four more. Runs coming thick and fast in the first half hour. Meanwhile, Dubey brought up his fifty with a couple off Avasthi, off 139 balls. Shubham Sharma gets to his 50 in the next over, off 74 balls.
MP 127/1 IN 42 OVERS Mohit Avasthi has taken the ball. No seam movement or swing on offer yet. Dubey and Sharma are nearing their fifties. The sun's out today in Bengaluru. Dubey opened the face of the bat and guided the last ball past gully for the first four of the match.
PITCH REPORT: Both Raman and Bhatia reckon the pitch will continue to be good for batting. Still not much help for the spinners expected as the cracks are expected to hold firm.
MP 123/1 IN 41 OVERS, TRAILS MUMBAI BY 251 RUNS
9:15 IST: It's another cool morning in Bengaluru with a thin cloud covering and the temperature hovering around 23-24 degrees Celsius.
9:10 IST: What could prove to be a point of difference, however is Sarfaraz Khan's innings yesterday. Remember he slogged for 152 balls for his fifty before scoring the next fifty runs off 38 balls to bring up his fourth hundred this season. Read here how his father Naushad installed an artificial turf at home to acquaint the 24-year-old with pace.
9:05 IST: Heading into the third day of this final, the match is still on an even footing. Madhya Pradesh might just feel it has its nose slightly ahead, but all will depend on how Yash Dubey and Shubham Sharma resume this morning. The Mumbai pacers had the batters on a leash towards the end of day's play yesterday after the umpires changed the ball because the older one seemed to have gone out of shape.
MUM VS MP FINAL DAY 2 REPORT
Mumbai found strength and spine through Sarfaraz Khan. The batter’s 134 (243b, 13x4, 2x6) blended chutzpah and a steely resolve to help the former champion stay marginally ahead of Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy final in progress at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday. At close on the second day, Madhya Pradesh scored 123 for one in its first innings while replying to Mumbai’s 374.
The Madhya Pradesh openers Yash Dubey and Himanshu Mantri added 47, with the latter taking a shine to left-arm spinner Shams Mulani, hoisting two sixes. But after tea, seamer Tushar Deshpande trapped the aggressor. Mumbai got the breakthrough but for the remainder of the last session, Dubey and Shubham Sharma batted with ease in their unfinished 76-run partnership.
Mumbai skipper Prithvi Shaw shuffled his bowlers and a few vociferous lbw appeals never found approval. In the initial skirmish for first innings honours, Dubey and Sharma kept Madhya Pradesh in the hunt, setting the stage for an interesting third day.
Earlier, resuming at the overnight 248 for five, Mumbai lost Mulani to the day’s second delivery as Gaurav Yadav darted one back and ruffled the pads. From the other end, Sarfaraz watched his departing colleague and had a quiet word with next man Tanush Kotian. Importantly for Mumbai, Sarfaraz shepherded the tail and strung a series of critical partnerships.
As Kotian settled, Sarfaraz lofted Yadav and swept Kumar Kartikeya across the ropes. And once the 50 was secured, he gestured to his applauding mates in the dressing room, hinting that he would stay at the pitch and guide his team. He remained true to his word and with Kotian, added 40 for the seventh wicket before Yadav castled the lower-order batter with a superb delivery that moved just a shade to clip the stumps.
Dhawal Kulkarni trudged in and dropped anchor, indulging in some exaggerated leaves outside the off-stump, Sarfaraz employed a short-arm pull of Yadav and as he crossed over crashed into the bowler. In severe pain as the helmet grille struck a side of his face, Sarfaraz rested a bit before getting up. He steered a four off Yadav and normal service was restored.
Dhawal perished after a 36-ball solitary run but importantly was part of a 26-run alliance with Sarfaraz. The latter scooped a four off Anubhav Agarwal and soon reached his fourth ton of the season. The ecstatic centurion presented an amalgam of emotions as he acknowledged the cheers besides doing a war-cry while gazing at the dressing room.
Mumbai had an appetising lunch score of 351 for eight and on resumption, Deshpande fell but by then the ninth-wicket partnership had yielded 39. Sarfaraz was the last man dismissed while he attempted quick runs, a towering six being part of the package. Thanks to him, Mumbai might believe that it has just about enough to test challenger Madhya Pradesh.
PLAYING XI
Mumbai: Prithvi Shaw (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Armaan Jaffer, Suved Parkar, Sarfaraz Khan, Hardik Tamore (wk), Shams Mulani, Dhawal Kulkarni, Tanush Kotian, Mohit Avasthi, Tushar Deshpande.
Madhya Pradesh: Yash Dubey, Himanshu Mantri (wk), Shubham Sharma, Rajat Patidar, Aditya Shrivastava (c), Akshat Raghuwanshi, Saransh Jain, Anubhav Agarwal, Gaurav Yadav, Kumar Kartikeya, Parth Sahani.
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