Sarfaraz Khan had converted his first seven First Class hundreds into 150+ innings, including a triple and two double centuries. On Saturday, his younger brother Musheer repeated the streak by ensuring his overnight hundred swelled into an unbeaten double.
More importantly, Musheer’s (203 n.o., 357b, 18x4) perseverance helped Mumbai add vital runs on the board before Bhargav Bhatt’s (7/112) best First Class figures meant Mumbai finished its first essay at 384 midway through the second day’s play of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal.
Baroda started off on a strong note, ending the proceedings at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground at 127 for two.
Shashwat Rawat (69 n.o., 88b, 9x4) breezy knock ensured the pendulum of the game stayed right in the middle. The stylish left-hander will have to dig as deep as Musheer if Baroda has to achieve the preliminary objective of gaining ascendancy in the first essay.
Had it not been for veteran Bhatt’s effective variation, Baroda may well have been chasing a 400-plus total. At lunch, with Musheer batting on 183 and Shardul Thakur accompanying him, despite losing Musheer’s overnight partner Hardik Tamore (caught in slips off left-arm spinner Ninad Rathva), Mumbai would have banked on its long tail to come good.
However, Bhatt ensured Mumbai’s tail did not wag, even as Musheer celebrated a deserving double hundred after driving Bhatt for a single to long-off. While Musheer continued to rely on strike rotation, the likes of Shardul, Tanush Kotian, Mohit Avasthi could not replicate it to leave Musheer – having batted for a marathon 520 minutes – without partners.
Shardul struck in the second over, crashing into the stumps after beating debutante Priyanshu Moliya. While the ace bowler continued to ask questions, the other four bowlers struggled to gauge the nature of the pitch, a slow turner.
It resulted in the bowlers offering way too many boundary balls and Shashwat and opener Jyotsnil Singh made merry. Once Jyotsnil nicked Shams Mulani in the slip cordon, captain Vishnu Solanki middled the ball well to send a cautionary note in the Mumbai camp.
The scores:
Mumbai – 1st innings: Prithvi Shaw st Patel b Bhatt 33, Bhupen Lalwani c Sharma b Bhatt 19, Musheer Khan (not out) 203, Ajinkya Rahane b Bhatt 3, Shams Mulani lbw b Rathva 6, Suryansh Shedge b Bhatt 20, Hardik Tamore c Jyotsnil b Rathva 57, Shardul Thakur c Rathva b Bhatt 17, Tanush Kotian c Limbani b Bhatt 7, Mohit Avasthi c Sharma b Rathva 2, Tushar Deshpande c Rawat b Bhatt 0; Extras (b-3, lb-13, w-1) 17; Total (All out in 140.4 overs) 384.
Fall of wickets: 1-57, 2-72, 3-86, 4-99, 5-142, 6-323, 7-364, 8-380, 9-383.
Baroda bowling: Meriwala 21-4-61-0, Limbani 20-3-48-0, Bhatt 42.4-5-112-7, Rathva 38-4-86-3, Pithiya 17-4-50-0, Moliya 2-0-11-0.
Baroda – 1st innings: Jyotsnil Singh c Lalwani b Mulani 32, Priyanshu Moliya b Shardul 1, Shashwat Rawat (batting) 69, Vishnu Solanki (batting) 23; Extras (b-1, nb-1): 2; Total (for two wickets in 35 overs): 127.
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-65.
Mumbai bowling: Avasthi 6-0-29-0, Shardul 7-0-25-1, Deshpande 7-1-22-0, Mulani 10-1-31-1, Kotian 5-0-19-0.
