Iyer lights up Mumbai’s season
Right-hand batsman scores quickfire 139-ball 178 to help hosts reach 439/8 on Day One against Baroda
MUMBAI: Shreyas Iyer plays a high-risk game. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn’t.
On Friday, those high-risk shots lit up Mumbai’s sprits as he scored a brisk 139-ball 178 to help them reach 439 for eight on Day One of their Ranji Trophy match against Baroda at the Wankhede Stadium.
Iyer, who had only returned on Thursday from New Zealand where he was with the India ‘A’ team, reached his 12th firstclass century with an amalgamation of classic drives and brute force. During the crisp innings — laced with 17 fours and 11 sixes — he spared no one. Walking into bat with Mumbai reeling at 28 for two, Iyer stitched a 283-run stand for the third wicket with skipper Siddhesh Lad (130), taking Mumbai to safety, alienating fears of collapse that have become synonymous with Mumbai’s line-up this season.
He started with purpose, dealing in quick singles with an odd boundary in between to keep the strike rotating. But once settled, he changed into a high gear and never relented. With Lad anchoring at the other end, Iyer got licence to thrill, swathing away everything that came on his radar.
He reached his century in 86 deliveries, smacking three sixes in four balls off left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt to reach the three-figure mark. He crossed the 150-mark in a similar fashion, hitting three maximums in as many balls to Yusuf Pathan — to jump from 143 to 161. Till he was at the crease, Mumbai were scoring at almost six runs per over. Pathan, though, got his revenge by having Iyer caught at mid-wicket by Vishnu Solanki.
It was a timely knock by the right-hand batsman who has been on the fringes of the Indian team. With national selector Sarandeep Singh watching from the stands, the 24-year-old’s knock might just put him among the contenders for a spot in the Indian team for the ODI series in Australia and then the ODI and T20I series in New Zealand.
Later, Lad along with Shubham Ranjane (42) stitched a 73-run stand for the fourth wicket to build Mumbai’s innings but Baroda hit back soon after. The hosts, in their endeavour to maintain the impressive run rate, lost quick wickets with Bhatt (4/68) being the pick of the bowlers. Mumbai were, thus, reduced from 384 for three to 439 for eight, losing five wickets in the space of just 45 runs.
PANDYA PICKS THREE WICKETS ON RETURN
Earlier, Hardik Pandya, playing his first competitive match since injuring his back in the Asia Cup, was right on the money and accounted for Mumbai openers Aditya Tare (15) and Vikrant Auti (12).
Later in the day, he cleaned up Shivam Dube (37) with the second new ball. He bowled 15 overs across four spells, most of them in the first session, to end with figures of three for 74.
The Indian team management should be happy with Pandya’s comeback but with a caveat. While he seemed fully fit and bowled at full throttle, he ended up with an expensive economy rate as well.
MILIND CROSSES 1,000-RUN MARK
Sikkim’s Milind Kumar became the first player to complete 1,000 runs this season when he scored 139 against Mizoram at Jorhat on Friday. He also became the fastest to reach the mark in the last 19 years — in just nine innings. Only Russian Modi has completed 1000 runs in less innings than Milind — touching the figure in seven knocks in 1944-45 while playing for Mumbai.
Apart from Milind Kumar, Tamil Nadu’s WV Raman (1988-89 season) and Sridharan Sriram (1999-00) had also completed 1,000 runs in a season in just nine innings.