Ranji Trophy: The hosts would have wished to get the maximum points, but opener Ayush Mhatre getting out on 15 meant Mumbai had to be satisfied with six points. (PTI)
After a disappointing start to the Ranji Trophy title defense where they had lost their first game to Baroda last week, Mumbai came back stronger to register their first win in the championship. The 9-wicket-win on Monday has given Mumbai much needed confidence going ahead, after they beat Maharashtra by nine wickets in their second round at MCA-BKC, their home ground on Monday.
When they resumed, Mumbai needed 61 runs more to win and it took them a mere 12.1 overs to achieve the target. Prithvi Shaw scored an unbeaten 39 while Hardik Tamore remained unbeaten on 21 as Mumbai packed up early winning with ease after reaching the target of 74.
The hosts would have wished to get the maximum points possible with a bonus, but opener Ayush Mhatre getting out on 15 meant Mumbai had to be satisfied with six points.
Maharashtra never recovered after their first innings debacle, shot out for 126, as Mumbai posted a mammoth score of 441 to ensure they were in the driver’s position. The conditions weren’t ideal for bowlers but they managed to restrict Maharashtra in the second innings too.
“(We got) Much needed points on the board, which is very important. Last season, we had started well, but this time, it (Baroda defeat) was a good eye-opener. We played hard but lost that match. And coming over here, we got the six points, so happy with that,” Mumbai’s left-arm spinner Shams Mulani said after the game. The hosts were glad to get the visitors all out for 126 and it proved to be a turning point in the game, he added.
Asked whether the team was hurt by missing out on the bonus points, he replied, “It hurts, it’s cricket. Sometimes you miss that one point, last game we scored a zero, this game we scored six, we will take that.”
No Tanush and SKY for next game
Mumbai will be missing out on their star batsman Suryakumar Yadav for the next Ranji Trophy game against Tripura due to personal reasons. Also not travelling to Agartala for the Ranji Round 3 match from October 26-29 will be all-rounder Tanush Kotian, who will fly out to Australia to be part of the India A team.
Mumbai could count many gains from the game especially after finding 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre, who scored 176 in first innings. Mulani says the new kid resembles the style of team opener Prithvi Shaw. “This is his fourth or fifth game, he bats like Shaw, he expresses himself and doesn’t play in any fear. I think that will take him a long way,” Mulani added.
For Maharashtra’s skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, his hundred in the second innings will certainly hold him in good stead Down Under.
Brief scores: Maharashtra 126 & 388 lost to Mumbai 441 & 75/1 (Prithvi Shaw 39 not out) by nine wickets.
