On the brink of their third outright win of the season, Mumbai need two wickets to win their ongoing Ranji Trophy match at Wankhede Stadium. After centurions Aditya Tare and Ajinkya Rahane helped pile on the runs and set a 530-run target, the Mumbai bowlers struck early in the Vidarbha innings and took wickets at regular intervals to push the visitors further on the back foot. At the end of day’s play, the visitors were struggling on 177 for eight with Shrikant Wagh batting on 34.
Earlier, Tare and Rahane continued to score effortlessly off Vidarbha to build on the overnight lead of 327 runs. With the both batsmen in sublime touch, there was little that the visitors could do. Rahane brought up his century with a single off Ravi Jangid. And a few overs later, Tare reached his 150. Mumbai were cruising along comfortably when Tare holed out to substitute Akshay Kolhar at long-on to depart for 172. During his 190-ball knock, the Mumbai opener hit 16 boundaries and slammed six sixes.
Siddhesh Lad soon followed him back, hitting Jangid to Faiz Fazal at mid-on to return for nine. With Suryakumar Yadav at the other end, Rahane then took Mumbai to lunch at 326 for three with a lead of 474.
In the second over after lunch, Rahane, coming down the track to Akshay Wakhare, was caught at mid-wicket by Shalabh Shirvastava for 133 (14x4, 1x6). Suryakumar Yadav then took on the Vidarbha attack and with a cameo comprising six boundaries and a six; he took the Mumbai lead past 500. When Mumbai declared their innings on 381 for four, Suryakumar was on 49 off 29, while Nayar was unbeaten on five.
Chasing the formidable target and with 44 overs of play remaining in the day, Vidarbha openers – Fazal and Amol Ubarhande came out to face the Zaheer Khan-led attack. Mumbai’s stand-in skipper sent Fazal’s middle-stump cart-wheeling in the first over to give the team an immediate breakthrough. Unbarhande, who had hit Zaheer to the boundary and Akbar Khan for a six over long-on, didn’t last much longer. In the sixth over, his middle-stump was uprooted by Akbar Khan leaving the team on 29 for two.
In the following over, Shardul Thakur, replacing Zaheer, claimed Ranjit Paradkar. With the team on 33 for three, veteran batsman Hemang Badani joined his captain in the middle to help avert a collapse like the one that was witnessed in the first innings. While Akbar Khan and Shardul Thakur struggled to find their line, Shrivastava made the most of the opportunity.
Soon after tea, Shrivastava reached his 50 off 40 deliveries, but Badani, who was plodding along, nicked Thakur to the slip cordon where substitute Hiken Shah pouched a catch to give Mumbai their fourth wicket.
Couple of overs later, Rashmi Ranjan Parida edged Nayar to Rahane in the slips. With half the side back in the pavilion, Jangid made his way to the crease and scored 13 before being sent back by Vishal Dabholkar.
And while the Mumbai bowlers continued to bend their backs, Shrivastava rallied on. While the rest of rest of the top and middle order had succumbed to the Mumbai attack, the Vidarbha skipper held his own. But his resistance ended towards the end of the day’s play. With just a few overs left, he hit Dabholkar to Zaheer at short mid-wicket to return for 69.
Struggling to see the day through, Umesh Yadav joined Shrikant Wagh in the middle. After surviving a couple of close calls, Umesh departed trapped lbw by Suryakumar.
