Ranji Trophy: Mumbai let it slip
Packing a Punch: Akhil Herwadkar en route to his 96 against Railways in Mysore yesterday
Defending champions lose their way in the final session to slump from 207/2 to 244/5
The sullen faces in the Mumbai dressing room and the 20-minute long dressing down by coachChandrakant Pandit to the day's two top scorers after the first day's play in the Ranji Trophy Group `A' encounter against Railways in Mysore spoke a lot more than the scoreboard, which at 244/5 is hardly damning for the defending champions.
Certainly not until one looks back to the time just after tea when Mumbai were comfortably placed at 207 for two and were set for a massive first innings total. However, a rush of blood from openerAkhil Herwadkar (96) changed the course of play.
HARDLY ANY CONSOLATION
Sharma had foxed Herwadkar in playing a similar shot in the previous over but the ball was a tad away from Singh and had gone for a boundary. The Railways' skipper then scalped his opposite number Aditya Tare (4) and Siddhesh Lad (5) to reduce Mumbai to 229 for five before the experiencedAbhishek Nayar (1) and Suryakumar Yadav (60) saw the day through. That would hardly be a consolation for a team that totally dominated the first session after opener Kaustubh Pawar got out rather cheaply after Tare had elected to bat first.His wicket brought Shreyas Iyer to the crease and the 21-year-old showed why he is considered one of the most dangerous batsmen on the
domestic circuit.
START WITH A FLOURISH
He began with two boundaries in the first three balls of his innings and did not allow the bowlers to settle down. He was severe on anything within driving range. He reacted to a mistake of dancing out to Sharma too early in the bowler's very first over by hitting medium pacerAmit Mishra in the following over for three successive boundaries.
A mishit while chasing a ball outside off stump saw him complete his half century in just 49 balls and he had raced to 70 runs in the first session before he was caught leg before wicket byKaran Thakur while trying to flick an incoming delivery.
While Iyer provided the punch, it was Her wadkar who was holding the innings toget her as he once again paced his innings to per fection. The open bid his time and saw off the new ball by leaving anything that was not pitched in line but did not miss out a chance to score on bad deliveries.
Herwadkar looked more assured playing the spinners as he used his feet to send Sharma and left-arm spinner Ashish Yadav over the in-field a couple of times. He completed his fifty with a six over long on off Sharma as Mumbai went into the lunch break at 1302.
PLAYING THE WAITING GAME
It was the post lunch session that probably triggered the mini collapse after tea as the Railways bowlers stifled the batsmen with a line away from the off-stump. The normally aggressive Yadav needed 21 balls to get off the mark and had managed just one more scoring shot a thick outside edge for a boundary in the first 50 balls that he faced. It was a rather uncharacteristic innings from him as he dropped anchor to reach a patient 60 of 162 balls and would be expected to see the team through to a commanding total on the second day.
To his credit, Herwadkar played the waiting game rather well except for a wide swing off Amit Mishra when batting on 67 that the second slip fielder could not hold on to. He was prepared to grind for the runs as Mumbai could manage just 60 runs in 29 overs between lunch and tea.
But it seems his patience ran out after batting for over four hours. He tried to take the attack to the spinners and looked like succeeding in his game plan till the mishit landed safely in the hands of Singh at mid-off.
Sharma, who bowled throughout the last session, was obviously the pick of the bowlers as he claimed three wickets in the 19 over spell that had begun just before tea.
BISTA RELEASED FOR U-23 TIE
Opening batsman Jay Bista has been re leased from the Ranji Trophy squad to play in the C K Nayudu U-23 game against Vidarbha to be played in Mumbai from Monday. The young batsman has been on the bench for the last game and is also out of the playing XI against Railways here.
Coach Chandrakant Pandit said the player would get some valuable time in the middle before he rejoins the squad for the next game against Uttar Pradesh in Mysore from November 13.
The sullen faces in the Mumbai dressing room and the 20-minute long dressing down by coach
Certainly not until one looks back to the time just after tea when Mumbai were comfortably placed at 207 for two and were set for a massive first innings total. However, a rush of blood from opener
The 22-year-old opening batsman has been the main stay of Mumbai's batting this season and a third century in as many matches was within sight when Herwadkar tried to rush to the landmark by stepping out to Railways' skipper Karn Sharma only to hole out to Ashish Singh at mid-off.
HARDLY ANY CONSOLATION
Sharma had foxed Herwadkar in playing a similar shot in the previous over but the ball was a tad away from Singh and had gone for a boundary. The Railways' skipper then scalped his opposite number Aditya Tare (4) and Siddhesh Lad (5) to reduce Mumbai to 229 for five before the experienced
domestic circuit.
START WITH A FLOURISH
He began with two boundaries in the first three balls of his innings and did not allow the bowlers to settle down. He was severe on anything within driving range. He reacted to a mistake of dancing out to Sharma too early in the bowler's very first over by hitting medium pacer
A mishit while chasing a ball outside off stump saw him complete his half century in just 49 balls and he had raced to 70 runs in the first session before he was caught leg before wicket by
While Iyer provided the punch, it was Her wadkar who was holding the innings toget her as he once again paced his innings to per fection. The open bid his time and saw off the new ball by leaving anything that was not pitched in line but did not miss out a chance to score on bad deliveries.
Herwadkar looked more assured playing the spinners as he used his feet to send Sharma and left-arm spinner Ashish Yadav over the in-field a couple of times. He completed his fifty with a six over long on off Sharma as Mumbai went into the lunch break at 1302.
PLAYING THE WAITING GAME
It was the post lunch session that probably triggered the mini collapse after tea as the Railways bowlers stifled the batsmen with a line away from the off-stump. The normally aggressive Yadav needed 21 balls to get off the mark and had managed just one more scoring shot a thick outside edge for a boundary in the first 50 balls that he faced. It was a rather uncharacteristic innings from him as he dropped anchor to reach a patient 60 of 162 balls and would be expected to see the team through to a commanding total on the second day.
To his credit, Herwadkar played the waiting game rather well except for a wide swing off Amit Mishra when batting on 67 that the second slip fielder could not hold on to. He was prepared to grind for the runs as Mumbai could manage just 60 runs in 29 overs between lunch and tea.
But it seems his patience ran out after batting for over four hours. He tried to take the attack to the spinners and looked like succeeding in his game plan till the mishit landed safely in the hands of Singh at mid-off.
Sharma, who bowled throughout the last session, was obviously the pick of the bowlers as he claimed three wickets in the 19 over spell that had begun just before tea.
BISTA RELEASED FOR U-23 TIE
Opening batsman Jay Bista has been re leased from the Ranji Trophy squad to play in the C K Nayudu U-23 game against Vidarbha to be played in Mumbai from Monday. The young batsman has been on the bench for the last game and is also out of the playing XI against Railways here.
Coach Chandrakant Pandit said the player would get some valuable time in the middle before he rejoins the squad for the next game against Uttar Pradesh in Mysore from November 13.
