Mumbai bank on Sarfaraz as MP fight back on Day 1
Ranji final: Mumbai seemed well-placed after an 87-run opening stand but MP bowlers did not yield
MUMBAI: Yashasvi Jaiswal looked in control from the onset and as the first day of the Ranji Trophy final against Madhya Pradesh at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium progressed in Bengaluru, a fourth century on the trot seemed to be well within his grasp. But just when no one was expecting it, a loose shot proved to be his undoing.
The 20-year-old, in his endeavour to play a drive off Anubhav Agarwal, was caught at gully by Yash Dubey. He had looked the best of Mumbai’s batters at the crease, high on confidence and batting to a plan. However, his stay was cut short after he had made 78 off 163 balls (7x4, 1x6).
Jaiswal’s innings also, perhaps, encapsulated Mumbai’s day. Most of their batters got starts but flattered to deceive. At stumps, the 41-time champions had reached 248/5 with Sarfaraz Khan (40 off 125b) and Shams Mulani (12 off 43b) at the crease.
After winning the toss, Mumbai opted to bat in overcast conditions. The idea was to bury MP under a heap of runs, and cash in on their playing only four specialist bowlers.
While Jaiswal looked at ease, skipper Prithvi Shaw’s lack of form was evident as he played and missed multiple deliveries and survived close calls too.
MP, as they have done in the knockouts, once against started with Kumar Kartikeya (1/91) but Jaiswal made sure he didn’t get a long run, hitting him for a six and a four in his fifth over. The left-hander was batting so confidently that he was initially scoring at a quicker pace than Shaw.
While the Mumbai captain made a 79-ball 47 with the help of five fours and one six, he looked scratchy throughout his stay at the wicket, failing to read which way the ball was swinging against Gaurav Yadav (0/68) and Agarwal (2/56). In the end, Agarwal managed to get one to jag back in to castle Shaw— another dismissal to an inswinger, a weakness which opponents are exploiting at will.
While Shaw’s stay at the wicket was uncomfortable, he managed to do what is expected of openers—see off the new ball with the 166-ball 87 runs opening stand with Jaiswal.
At the other end, Jaiswal, after the initial burst, dropped the anchor and repelled whatever MP bowlers were dishing out.
Armaan Jaffer looked at ease while he was at the crease and played some classy shots in his 56-ball 26 before hard hands did him in.
Rather than defending, he pushed at a Kartikeya straighter one which took an inside edge and lobbed straight to Dubey positioned at short midwicket. Call it a masterstroke or whatever but MP skipper Aditya Shrivastava had moved a fielder there just a few balls earlier.
Before the match, talk centered around how well the young Mumbai batting line-up would handle the pressure of a final. Maybe the pressure got to them. Suved Parkar (18, 30b), Jaiswal and Hardik Tamore (24, 44b) fell within a space of 81 runs which saw Mumbai being reduced to 228 for five.
Both Parkar and Tamore had got starts before heading back to the pavilion. Parkar closed his bat face early while trying to flick off-spinner Saransh Jain (2/31) through the leg-side and the leading edge lobbed for an easy catch to Shrivastava moving in from long on.
Tamore looked the most uncomfortable at the crease before edging one to Rajat Patidar at first slip off Jain.
Such was the pressure that even someone like Sarfaraz Khan, who has had a splendid season, was nervy to being with and survived some close leg-before appeals which could have gone either way.
Luckily for Mumbai, he got over the initial jitters, put his head down and with the help of Mulani ensured that his team reached stumps without losing any further wickets.
Mumbai will hope that the pair bats as deep as possible on Day Two to wear down MP, who used just four bowlers on Day One with left-arm spinner Kartikeya doing the heavy lifting by bowling 31 overs.