FAIRYTALE FINISH
Madhya Pradesh create history, win maiden Ranji title
Bengaluru, June 26: Madhya Pradesh, not considered among cricketing elites during the past decade, on Sunday humbled domestic powerhouse Mumbai by six wickets in a one-sided Ranji Trophy final under coach Chandrakant Pandit, who exorcised the ghosts of losing one at this very ground 23 summers ago.
On the final day, Mumbai could only manage 269 in their second innings, leaving MP with a paltry target of 108, and they did it in style as Pandit won a record sixth national title as a coach.
Sarfaraz Khan (45), who finished the season with 18 short of 1000 runs and young Suved Parkar (51) tried their bit, but with the need to attack at every opportunity, MP’S Kumar Kartikeya (4/98) and the other bowlers knew that wickets would come their way.
While chasing, there were some hiccups, but with just over 100 to get, it was a stroll in the park for the MP team.
As they completed the victory, Pandit was flooded with memories (not happy ones), which he hasn’t been able to erase for over two decades and despite winning five trophies as a coach.
It was here at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the summer of 1999 when MP, despite a first-innings lead of 75, failed to win the game as Pandit, a proud captain, finished his playing career in tears.
Before the final, he spoke about divine intervention and circle of life and during the five days, sat in one corner with a white towel on his lap.
FOR THE RECORD
He has again proved to be an ‘Alchemist’, after guiding Vidarbha to four trophies (successive Ranji and Irani Cup), with a team that didn’t have superstars.
The Yash Dubeys, Himanshu Mantris, Subham Sharmas, Gourav Yadavs or Saransh Jains aren’t players who would give you the feeling that they are India prospects, the classy Rajat Patidar being an exception. But they gave enough indication that they aren’t ready to concede even a micro millimetre without a good scrap.
They gave the Mumbai men a lesson in perfect execution of tactic with dollops of ‘Khadoos’ cricket, which many thought was a patent of the 41time champions.
MP’S win once proved that the again Ranji
Trophy is often won by sides which don’t have too many superstars or India prospects with ambition or wherewithal to play top-flight cricket.
When the Ranji Trophy started, the Madhya Pradesh cricket team wasn’t even formed and it was back then known as Holkar, a princely state from the British era, which produced the country’s finest cricketers — the charismatic Mushtaq Ali — or the first ever captain of the Indian cricket team — the great CK Nayudu.
— PTI SCORECARD Mumbai (1st Innings): 374. Madhya Pradesh (1st innings): 536.
Mumbai (2nd Innings): Prithvi Shaw c Dubey b Gaurav Yadav 44, Hardik Tamore b Kartikeya 25, Armaan Jaffer b Gaurav Yadav 37, Suved Parkar b
Madhya Pradesh have won the Ranji Trophy 69 years after they last won the coveted title in their former avatar, as Holkar, and 23 years since they last had a shot at Indian domestic cricket’s biggest prize. At the same venue of their 1998-99 heartbreak, MP redeemed themselves by beating Mumbai.
Kartikeya 51, Sarfaraz Khan c Agarwal b Sahani 45, Yashasvi Jaiswal c Patidar b Kartikeya 1, Shams Mulani run out (Jain) 17, Tanush Kotian c Mantri b Kartikeya 11, Tushar Deshpande run out 7, Mohit Avasthi lbw b Sahani 15, Dhawal Kulkarni (not out) 2. Extras (b 4, lb 4, w 6) 14. Total (in 57.3 overs) 269.
FOW: 1-63, 2-83, 3-139, 4-192, 5198, 6-232, 7-236, 8-250, 9-252. Bowling: Kumar Kartikeya 25-398-4, Anubhav Agarwal 9-0-530, Gaurav Yadav 10-0-53-2, Parth Sahani 7.3-0-43-2, Saransh Jain 6-0-14-0.
Madhya Pradesh (2nd Innings): Himanshu Mantri b Mulani 37, Yash Dubey b Kulkarni 1, Shubham Sharma c Armaan Jaffer b Mulani 30, Parth Sahani c Kotian b Mulani 5, Rajat Patidar (not out) 30, Aditya Shrivastava (not out) 1. Extras (b 4) 4. Total (for four wickets in 29.5 overs) 108.
FOW: 1-2, 2-54, 3-66, 4-101. Bowling: Shams Mulani 13-0-413, Dhawal Kulkarni 3-0-7-1, Tushar Deshpande 3-1-3-0, Tanush Kotian 8-0-29-0, Mohit Avasthi 2-0-19-0, Sarfaraz Khan 0.5-0-5-0.
Shubham Sharma
Sarfaraz Khan (Mumbai, 982 runs)
Shams Mulani (Mumbai, 45 wickets)
Mumbai with 41 titles holds the record for winning the most number of titles. They were also the first winner by beating Northern India at Mumbai in 1934-35. They have won almost half of the 85 editions of the tournament, reaffirming their reputation of being among the most dominant domestic first-class sides. Mumbai made it to the Ranji Trophy final for a record 47 times.