On Saturday morning with a cool breeze wafting across, a father and his son climbed the stairs towards the lone stand allowing spectators at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. He bumped into another family and quipped: “After seeing the 1983 film, my son is interested in cricket.” Coincidentally the statement was made on a day — June 25 — that marked the 39th anniversary of India’s historic World Cup triumph.
And inside the venue, another new order was being etched in domestic cricket with Madhya Pradesh setting itself up for its maiden Ranji Trophy title and that too at multiple-champion Mumbai’s expense.
Critical benchmark
Rajat Patidar’s remarkable 122 (332m, 219b, 20x4) and Saransh Jain’s 57 ensured that Madhya Pradesh seized a crucial 162-run first innings lead and scaled the first critical benchmark on its path towards the title. Replying to Mumbai’s 374, Madhya Pradesh posted 536.
At the fourth day’s close of the Ranji final, Mumbai scored 113 for two in its second innings and is trailing by 49 runs. Skipper Prithvi Shaw and fellow-opener Hardik Tamore batted aggressively and also enjoyed their share of reprieves as catches were dropped. Tamore, however, fell on the sweep to spinner Kumar Kartikeya. Shaw was regal till he lasted, targeting the upper tier, eager to whittle down the deficit but fell in the last session.
Earlier, resuming at the overnight 368 for three, Madhya Pradesh skipper Aditya Shrivastava played out a maiden from spinner Shams Mulani. From the Far End, Mohit Avasthi steamed in and Patidar on-drove for four, and during the 127th over, a brace off the same bowler helped Madhya Pradesh move to 376 for three and two ahead of Mumbai’s 374. Both Shrivastava and Patidar played some rousing shots and, as the 60-run partnership promised more, the captain edged a lifter from Avasthi.
Just as Mumbai prised out wickets, Patidar marched to his own stylish beat with shots that scorched the turf. Akshat Raghuwanshi on-drove Avasthi for four but had no clue to a Tushar Deshpande delivery that angled in. Next man Parth Sahani had a reprieve on two when Shaw grassed an edge off Mulani. But the batter did not capitalise and Mulani had the last word.
Immediately, southpaw Jain lofted a four to commence his knock. And as the fans did their ‘RCB, RCB’ chants, Patidar pulled Deshpande to move to 99, he then punched one towards cover and a special hundred was his to savour. He cut Deshpande, punched Mulani and Madhya Pradesh had 475 for six at lunch.
After the break and with the new ball, Deshpande castled Patidar. Meanwhile Jain nonchalantly whipped his fours. The whimsical Bengaluru weather threw up showers and on either side of the rain-break, Mulani scalped Anubhav Agarwal and Kartikeya. Another wet spell meant that tea was announced, and when play resumed Madhya Pradesh’s last wicket fell, leaving Mumbai with a mountain to climb and a miracle to dream about.
The scores:
Mumbai — 1st innings: 374 in 127.4 overs.
Madhya Pradesh — 1st innings: Yash Dubey c Hardik Tamore b Mulani 133 (336b, 14x4), Himanshu Mantri lbw b Deshpande 31 (50b, 3x4, 2x6), Shubham Sharma c Tamore b Avasthi 116 (215b, 15x4, 1x6), Rajat Patidar b Deshpande 122 (219b, 20x4), Aditya Shrivastava c Sarfaraz b Avasthi 25 (69b, 2x4, 1x6), Akshat Raghuwanshi b Deshpande 9 (18b, 1x4), Parth Sahani lbw b Mulani 11 (18b, 2x4), Saransh Jain c Aman Khan b Mulani 57 (97b, 7x4), Anubhav Agarwal lbw b Mulani 8 (29b, 1x4), Kumar Kartikeya c Sarfaraz Khan b Mulani 9 (13b, 1x4), Gaurav Yadav (not out) 1 (2b); Extras (b-10, lb-1, nb-2, w-1): 14; Total (in 177.2 overs): 536.
Fall of wickets: 1-47 (Mantri, 16.3 overs), 2-269 (Sharma, 89.4), 3-341 (Dubey, 111.5), 4-401 (Shrivastava, 132.5), 5-411 (Raghuwanshi, 138.1), 6-430 (Sahani, 143.5), 7-483 (Patidar, 163.2), 8-505 (Agarwal, 171.2), 9-515 (Kartikeya,173.6).
Mumbai bowling: Dhawal Kulkarni 24-4-53-0, Tushar Deshpande 36-10-116-3, Shams Mulani 63.2-11-173-5, Mohit Avasthi 32-7-93-2, Tanush Kotian 22-1-90-0.
Mumbai — 2nd innings: Prithvi Shaw c Yash Dubey b Yadav 44 (52b, 3x4, 2x6), Hardik Tamore b Kartikeya 25 (32b, 2x4, 1x6), Armaan Jaffer (batting) 30 (34b, 3x4), Suved Parkar 9 (14b); Extras (lb-2, w-3): 5; Total (for two wkts. in 22 overs): 113.
Fall of wickets: 1-63 (Tamore, 10.3 overs), 2-83 (Shaw, 15.6).
Madhya Pradesh bowling: Kumar Kartikeya 10-1-50-1, Anubhav Agarwal 6-0-32-0, Gaurav Yadav 5-0-23-1, Parth Sahani 1-0-6-0.
