The semi-final clashes between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu and Gujarat and Jharkhand were evenly poised when play ended on the second day of the Ranji Trophy 2016-17 season.
After bowling TN out in the first session, Mumbai were driven to a comfortable position by Surya Kumar Yadav. However, the loss of three quick wickets in the final session left the game hanging in the balance.
After dominating on Day 1, Gujarat lost their reaming seven wickets for the addition of 107 runs to their overnight score. Jharkhand pacers – Ajay and Rahul Shukla - brought the side back into the reckoning by striking at regular intervals. Their middle-order, especially the contributions of Ishank Jaggi and Ishan Kishan helped shape a reply and keep the match evenly poised.
Day 2 – recap: SF 1 - Mumbai vs Tamil Nadu in Rajkot: Tamil Nadu 1st inn 305/10 in 115.2 overs (V Shankar 50, A Nayar 4/66, S Thakur 4/75); Mumbai 1st inn 171/4 in 60 overs (SK Yadav 73, P Waghela 48, S Iyer 24*, V Shankar 1/14, R A Srinivas 1/22) Trail by 134 runs
Mumbai pacers – Shardul Thakur and Abhishek Nayar - claimed the remaining four wickets to bowl Tamil Nadu out for 305 in the first session after resuming on 261 for six.
Thakur forced an edge from overnight batsman Vijay Shankar (50) through to the wicketkeeper to give Mumbai their first breakthrough. 18 runs later, R Aushik Srinivas nicked a Nayar delivery going down leg side and was caught by Aditya Tare behind the wickets. Then after taking the team past the 300-run mark, Aswin Crist, who had played a patient knock (31 off 115 balls), struck the ball back to Nayar with the team on 305 for nine. In the following over, Vignesh K was sent back by Shardul to end the innings.
Mumbai then lost debutant Prithvi Shaw in the first over. The young opener edged Aswin to the wicketkeeper to depart for four. With Shreyas Iyer having some health concerns, Surya Kumar Yadav then joined Praful Waghela in the middle and the pair took Mumbai to Lunch at 34 for one.
Scoring at a quick clip Suryakumar kept the momentum on Mumbai’s side while Waghela held up one end and took Mumbai to Tea at 111 for one. The pair added 121 runs for the second wicket as the stylish stroke-maker milked the bowlers till returning to the pavilion early in the last session of the day. Mumbai had held the upper-hand until a mini-collapse in the last session of the day left the game precariously poised.
Surya Kumar edged Vijay Shankar to the wicketkeeper and departed for 73 with the team on 125 for three. In the next over, the opener, who had stoically held up one end was run out for 48 and off the last ball of the over, Siddhesh Lad handed a simple catch to extra-cover with Mumbai on 128 for three. Iyer then joined Aditya Tare in rebuilding the innings and the pair took the team to stumps in an unbroken 43-run stand.
SF 2 - Gujarat vs Jharkhand in Nagpur: Gujarat 1st inn 390/10 in 126.2 overs (P Panchal 149, RP Singh 40, Ajay 3/67, R Shukla 3/71); Jharkhand 1st inn 214/5 in 51 overs (I Kishan 61, I Jaggi 40*, RP Singh 3/48) Trail by 176 runs
In reply to Gujarat’s first innings total of 390, Jharkhand were 214 for five at stumps on Day 2 and trailing by 176 runs. Ishank Jaggi was batting on 40 with Rahul Shukla yet to open his account when play ended for the day. His 92-run stand for the fifth wicket with Ishan Kishan (61) helped keep Jharkhand in the fray after being reduced to 121 for four by the RP Singh-led attack.
The senior paceman accounted for Sumit Kumar in the first over with eight runs on the board and then claimed Pratyush Singh to end the blossoming second wicket stand for 49. After 36 runs, R Bhatt bowled Virat Singh with his side on 89 for three.
Saurabh Tiwary then took the team past the three-figure mark with Jaggi until H Patel struck to send the skipper back. The middle-order bat then partnered with Ishan Kishan to take the team to 213 until the latter was sent back by RP Singh in the penultimate over of the day. Shukla then helped see the team through to stumps.
Earlier, after resuming on the overnight score of 283 for three, Gujarat lost Priyank Panchal in the sixth over of the day. The opener was sent back by Ajay for 149. In his next over, the bowler accounted for Manprit Juneja. 24 runs later, Chirag Gandhi was the bowler’s third scalp and with Rahul Shukla disrupting Rush Kalaria’s stumps, the team were 324 for seven. R Bhatt then stitched a 62-run partnership with RP Singh to add useful runs to the total until he was trapped lbw by Shahbaz Nadeem at the stroke of lunch.
RP Singh was the first to return to the dressing room in the second session; bowled by Shukla without a run added to the total. And four runs later, the pacer accounted for Jasprit Bumrah to wrap-up the innings for 390.
