Mumbai were leading by 108 runs with seven wickets in hand at stumps of Day 3 courtesy a patient batting performance by Shreyas Iyer (82 off 137) and Surya Kumar Yadav (45* off 175). Batting carefully, the No 4 bat took the team to stumps at 208 for three with skipper Aditya Tare.
Having conceded a 100-run lead, Mumbai need a solid batting performance in the second innings. Having bowled them out in the first session – claiming the remaining four Gujarat wickets for 37 runs - Mumbai had got off to a good start on the third day.
Akhil Herwadkar and Prithvi Shaw (44 off 35) then put together a 54-run opening stand until the former nicked Chintan Gaja to the slips. However, the youngster looked in good touch as he looked to carry the innings forward, but was sent back by the bowler 12 runs later. Shaw had set the momentum for Mumbai until Gaja forced an edge from the opener through to the wicketkeeper.
Surya Kumar then joined Iyer and took the team to Lunch at 66 for two. The Mumbai batsmen batted diligently through the second session in an effort to shape the innings. Playing watchfully, they blunted the RP Singh-led attack and batted Mumbai to a lead. Batting at an unhurried pace, they added 54 runs in 25 overs to finish the session at 120 for two. While Iyer had taken his tally to 41 off 87 balls at Tea; the middle-order batsman had dropped anchor and held up one end and was batting on 14 off 85 deliveries.
The pair continued to keep the bowlers at bay with a disciplined batting performance as they added to the lead. Having taken the measure of the situation, the batsmen picked the gaps and gleaned runs off the bowlers as they looked to up the ante. Iyer looked in form as he picked the boundaries and reached the 80s. However, he nicked Gaja to wicketkeeper with Mumbai on 193 for three. Having done the hard yards, the No 3 batsman, who had looked set to reach the three-figure mark departed on 82.
With the end of the third wicket stand for 127 runs, Aditya Tare joined Surya Kumar in seeing the team through to the end of day’s play.
Earlier, Shardul Thakur dealt the first blow by forcing an edge from Chirag Gandhi through to the slips where Surya Kumar took the catch. Balwinder Sandhu then followed up with the wickets of Rush Kalaria and RP Singh with leave Gujarat on 326 for nine. Two runs later, Thakur accounted for Hardik Patel to bowl Gujarat out for 328 after resuming on 291 for six in the morning.
Brief scores:
Day 1 - Mumbai 1st inn 228/10 in 83.5 overs (P Shaw 71, SK Yadav 57, R Bhatt 2/5, CT Gaja 2/46, RP Singh 2/48); Gujarat 1st inn 2/0 in 1 over. Trail by 22r runs
Day 2 – Gujarat 1st inn 291/6 in 92 overs (P Patel 90, M Juneja 77, C Gandhi 17*, R Kalaria 16*, A Nayar 3/91, S Thakur 2/67) Lead by 63 runs
Day 3 – Gujarat 1st inn 328/10 in 104.3 overs (R Kalaria 27, S Thakur 4/84, BS Sandhu 3/63); Mumbai 2nd inn 208/3 in 67 overs (S Iyer 82, SK Yadav 45, A Tare 13*, CT Gaja 3/54) Lead by 108 runs
