MUMBAI: Driving Ninad Rathva to longoff for a single, Musheer Khan, batting on 128 overnight, celebrated floating on ‘Cloud 200,’ raising both is hands up in the air, looking towards his father-cum-coach Naushad Khan, who was applauding his son’s major milestone at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s ground in BKC.
Consuming 350 balls and stroking 18 fours to convert his first First-Class century into a double century in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Baroda, the 18-year-old on Saturday proved that he had the same penchant for scoring ‘daddy hundreds’ that his elder brother, India’s Test batsman Sarfaraz Khan has in red-ball cricket.
The youngster also justified being pulled out for this match from Mumbai’s Under-23 team at the last minute.
“It’s a special feeling to score my maiden First-Class double ton. I’ve scored double hundreds (250 each) against Baroda at the Under-14 and U-16 level, and now in the Ranji Trophy. I only missed out scoring a double century against them at the Under-19 level, because I didn’t play them there,” Musheer told TOI.
For almost a day and a session, Musheer’s marathon knock (203 not out, 357b, 18x4), and a superb support act by ‘keeper-bat Hardik Tamore (57, 248b, 3x4), put Mumbai on top of Baroda with their mammoth 443-ball 181-run stand for the sixth wicket. However, on Day 2, the visitors fought back through their left-arm spinners, who took all the 10 wickets for them as they restricted Mumbai to 384 in the first innings.
While Bhargav Bhatt produced his career-best figures of seven for 112 after toiling for 42.4 overs, Rathva supported him well, taking three for 86 in 38 overs.
Making his First-Class debut, Raj Limbani, who played for the India under-19 team in the U-19 World Cup in South Africa recently, returned wicketless.
In reply, a fine half-century by Shashwat Rawat (69 not out, 88b, 9x4) ensured that Mumbai would sleep uneasy, knowing that Baroda are 127 for two, with 257 runs left to overtake the hosts’ total.
