Tons of positives
After Herwadkar’s efforts on day 3, Nayar and Lad score centuries to help Mumbai gain three points.
After overnight batsmen Akhil Herwadkar and Tushar Deshpande walked down to the middle to resume the chase of 445 runs, Mumbai captain Aditya Tare wanted his boys to take their places in the pavilion.
While most players were busy with their breakfast, a visibly upset Tare entered the banquet arena ordering his players to take their seats and cheer the batsmen for every shot they played. The orders were executed. The outcome: Mumbai snatched three points from Madhya Pradesh from a pitch that could only yield half a result.
The encounter was long-winded, but for Mumbai it threw a lot of positives — Herwadkar’s brilliant 153, Deshpande’s resilient 62 and a ton each from the evergreen Abhishek Nayar and Siddhesh Lad.
Mumbai began the fourth and final day with a 155-run deficit. With five wickets in hand on a pitch that kept cracking, anything could have happened.
“Chasing anything in excess of 400 in first class cricket is a good sign. It shows how well-equipped our batting is,” a proud captain said.
However, it was Deshpande who impressed one and all. The pacer showed tremendous courage with the bat, contributing a crucial 62 to set the ball rolling for Mumbai.
“The way Tushar played those shots, it was brilliant strokeplay from him. We’ve discovered a potential allrounder in him. He’s got immense ability with the bat,” Tare said, as his boys headed for the team bus.
If Deshpande was unlucky with his two no-ball wickets on day one, he was fortunate to have been dropped by MP captain Devendra Bundela at first slip when he was on 21. By lunch, both Herwadkar (153) and Deshpande (62) were back in the pavilion, leaving the chase to Nayar and Lad, who successfully ensured Mumbai earned those crucial first innings points. Nayar and Lad — two of Mumbai’s experienced batters were sent down the order as Mumbai had to send in nightwatchmen (BS Sandhu and Deshpande) on the second and third day.
Pitch slammed
However, it was the pitch that irked both teams.
“Whether you play home or away, you need better pitches which have more bounce in it. The bounce will help the bowlers and the batsmen to play strokes,” MP coach Harvinder Singh Sodhi said.
When asked about the MP captain’s dropped catches, Sodhi just shook his head, adding, “In a game of cricket these things happen. No one drops catches deliberately.”
Soon after the match, a small ceremony of sorts took place inside the dressing room. What one could hear was the sound of clapping at short intervals — resembling an award ceremony where the audience clap at every winner.
“It’s something we do after a match. Clapping for the performers to keep the morale up,” Tare revealed.
After a 12-day gap, Mumbai will play Railways in Mysore. With Dhawal Kulkarni back, Tare will now be spoilt for choice.
“It’s a great sign to have such healthy competition within the team,” the captain signed off.
After overnight batsmen Akhil Herwadkar and Tushar Deshpande walked down to the middle to resume the chase of 445 runs, Mumbai captain Aditya Tare wanted his boys to take their places in the pavilion.
While most players were busy with their breakfast, a visibly upset Tare entered the banquet arena ordering his players to take their seats and cheer the batsmen for every shot they played. The orders were executed. The outcome: Mumbai snatched three points from Madhya Pradesh from a pitch that could only yield half a result.
“I wanted them to watch the proceedings of the match. In a situation like this, the players cannot wile away their time eating breakfast. Even batsmen need vocal support,” he said after the day’s play.
The encounter was long-winded, but for Mumbai it threw a lot of positives — Herwadkar’s brilliant 153, Deshpande’s resilient 62 and a ton each from the evergreen Abhishek Nayar and Siddhesh Lad.
Mumbai began the fourth and final day with a 155-run deficit. With five wickets in hand on a pitch that kept cracking, anything could have happened.
“Chasing anything in excess of 400 in first class cricket is a good sign. It shows how well-equipped our batting is,” a proud captain said.
However, it was Deshpande who impressed one and all. The pacer showed tremendous courage with the bat, contributing a crucial 62 to set the ball rolling for Mumbai.
“The way Tushar played those shots, it was brilliant strokeplay from him. We’ve discovered a potential allrounder in him. He’s got immense ability with the bat,” Tare said, as his boys headed for the team bus.
If Deshpande was unlucky with his two no-ball wickets on day one, he was fortunate to have been dropped by MP captain Devendra Bundela at first slip when he was on 21. By lunch, both Herwadkar (153) and Deshpande (62) were back in the pavilion, leaving the chase to Nayar and Lad, who successfully ensured Mumbai earned those crucial first innings points. Nayar and Lad — two of Mumbai’s experienced batters were sent down the order as Mumbai had to send in nightwatchmen (BS Sandhu and Deshpande) on the second and third day.
Pitch slammed
However, it was the pitch that irked both teams.
“Whether you play home or away, you need better pitches which have more bounce in it. The bounce will help the bowlers and the batsmen to play strokes,” MP coach Harvinder Singh Sodhi said.
When asked about the MP captain’s dropped catches, Sodhi just shook his head, adding, “In a game of cricket these things happen. No one drops catches deliberately.”
Soon after the match, a small ceremony of sorts took place inside the dressing room. What one could hear was the sound of clapping at short intervals — resembling an award ceremony where the audience clap at every winner.
“It’s something we do after a match. Clapping for the performers to keep the morale up,” Tare revealed.
After a 12-day gap, Mumbai will play Railways in Mysore. With Dhawal Kulkarni back, Tare will now be spoilt for choice.
“It’s a great sign to have such healthy competition within the team,” the captain signed off.
