Mumbai were leading by 327 runs after Vidarbha folded for 113 on the second day of their ongoing Ranji Trophy 2013-14 match at Wankhede Stadium. After Mumbai lost their remaining two wickets in less than five overs upon resuming their first innings on the second day, their pacers helped dismantle the opposition line-up in 41.4 overs to put their team in a dominating position. Shardul Thakur, playing his first match of the season, claimed three, while Zaheer Khan and debutant Akbar Khan picked two wickets each. Meanwhile, Abhiskek Nayar, left-arm spinner Vishal Dabholkar and Kaustubh Pawar took a wicket apiece.
Building on the advantage, Aditya Tare then hit a sparkling century and was ably supported by Ajinkya Rahane. At stumps, Mumbai were 179 for one in their second innings with Tare and Rahane batting on 110 and 62 respectively.
Earlier in the morning, Dabholkar, who had resumed his innings on naught, opened his account off the 37th delivery he faced and was then castled for one by Shrikant Wagh. In the following over, Wasim Jaffer was the last Mumbai wicket to fall, signaling the end of the hosts’ first innings for 261. Caught at gully by Rashmi Ranjan Parida off Sandeep Singh, the opener returned to the dressing room for 139.
The Mumbai pacers then polished off the Vidarbha top order before lunch. Debutant Akbar Khan made the first dent by castling Amol Ubarhande in the sixth over. And 13 runs later, Ravi Jangid nicked Thakur to Aditya Tare behind stumps to leave the visitors on 35 for two.
Stand-in skipper Zaheer then dealt a telling double-blow. In the third over after changing ends for his second spell, the pacer removed his opposite number and Hemang Badani off consecutive deliveries. A simple catch by Siddhesh Lad at forward short-leg saw the back of Shalabh Shrivastava, while Tare caught a ball going down the leg side to send back Badani. Zaheer’s second spell read 4-1-15-2.
Vidarbha opener Faiz Fazal was the next to be sent back, caught in the gully region by Jaffer off Nayar. And a bit later, Dabholkar trapped Ranjit Paradkar leg-before in a wicket maiden. The visitors were struggling on 60 for six when lunch was called.
Their woes continued into the second session as Thakur yorked Wagh and then followed up with the wicket of Umesh Yadav to leave the visitors reeling on 72 for eight. Battling to avoid the follow-on, Parida continued to chip away at the bowling and found some support from Akshay Wakhare. The pair had stitched together a 39-run partnership to take Vidarbha to 111, before Kaustubh Pawar dismissed Wakhare. And immediately after the follow-on had been averted, Sandeep Singh, attempting to upper-cut Akbar Khan, was caught by Pawar in the slips bringing the curtains down on the Vidarbha’s first innings for 113.
Kaustubh Pawar then opened the batting with Aditya Tare for the home team in the second innings. While the latter scored at a quick pace, Pawar bided his time. Early into the last session of the day, Pawar edged a delivery from Umesh Yadav, and Ubarhande, diving to his right, took a good catch to send the batsman back for six. Ajinkya Rahane then joined Tare, who was batting on 40, to help Mumbai build on the lead.
Vidarbha’s woes continued as Sandeep Singh hurt his leg while stopping a Tare drive off his own bowling, and he had to limp off the field. The Mumbai opener, on the other hand, reached his half-century in the next over. The Mumbai batsmen scored at a steady pace and brought up the team’s 100 in 21.3 overs. Tare and Rahane continued to milk the Vidarbha attack with gusto as the innings progressed. The opener was on song and reached his century in 109 balls with a six off Wakhare over long-off. Rahane then brought up his 50 with a six over long-on in the same over. The pair clobbered the Vidarbha attack and kept building on the lead to put Mumbai firmly in the driver’s seat.
