Ranji semis: Mumbai in driver’s seat against UP
BENGALURU: A dominant Mumbai rode on impressive hundreds from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Armaan Jaffer to put Uttar Pradesh on the backfoot by taking their overall lead past the 600-mark on the fourth day of their Ranji Trophy semi-final here on Friday.
It was a run-feast on day four as the two batted with authority and it is almost certain now that the 41-time Ranji Trophy winners would sail into the summit clash.
The Amol Muzumdar coached side, in their second essay, was poised at 449 for four when stumps were drawn and had an overall lead of staggering 662 runs.
Jaiswal (181), who has hit his maiden hundred in the quarterfinal, slammed back-to-back centuries in the current one, as he and Jaffer (127), bulldozed a list-less Uttar Pradesh attack.
Mumbai, which already had a lead of 346 runs, began on their overnight score of 133 for one.
And it was sheer dominance by their young batting duo of Jaiswal and Jaffer, who would surely have made his uncle Wasim proud, by his stellar performance. The two young Mumbai batters, who started the day when they were in their 30s, pummelled the UP attack into submission with a variety of strokes on display in their 286- run stand for the second wicket.
It was raining boundaries at the Just Cricket Academy as Jaiswal hammered 23 fours and one maximum in his 372-ball innings, while Jaffer smashed 15 fours and two sixes in his 259ball knock.
Uttar Pradesh had to wait long for getting the first-wicket of the day and pacer Shivam Mavi (1/36) dismissed Jaffer in the 107th over of the innings, to break the mammoth stand.
But that did not deter Jaiswal, who kept playing shots at will and spared no bowler. Jaiswal missed a richly deserved double-hundred as he was caught by Aryan Juval off Price Yadav (2/69).
UP did get two wickets in quick succession, that of Suved Parkar (22) and Jaiswal, but till then the damage was done.
The wide gulf between the two sides was on display. UP used as many as nine bowlers, but managed to get only three wickets in the day.
Left-arm spinner Saurabh
Kumar ( 1/ 105) had the most expensive figures as he was taken to task by Jaffer and Jaiswal. At stumps, Sarfaraz Khan (23 not out) and Shams Mulani (10 not out) were holding fort. Brief Scores: Mumbai 393 and 449/4 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 181, Armaan Jaffer 127; Shivam Mavi 1/36) versus UP 180 all out.
Abhimanyu, Shahbaz keep Bengal in hunt
ALUR (KARNATAKA): Skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran’s unbeaten 52 after Shahbaz Ahmed’s superb all-round show gave Bengal a glimmer of hope even as Madhya Pradesh firmly held the upper- hand on the penultimate day of the Ranji semi-final.
On a difficult fourth day pitch, the India A batter looked flawless and milked the field at ease, slamming six fours in his 104-ball knock as Bengal were precariously placed at 96 for 4, needing another 254 runs to reach the stiff winning target of 350.
Brief Scores: Madhya Pradesh 341 and 281; 114.2 overs (Aditya Shrivastava 82, Rajat Patidar 79; Shahbaz Ahmed 5/79, Pradipta Pramanik 4/65). Bengal 273 and 96/4; 37 overs (A Easwaran 52 batting; Kumar Kartikeya 3/35)