Jaffer, Kukreja give Mumbai a great start

To Mumbai’s benefit and Maharashtra’s detriment, there was one man who provided his side’s batting with the missing touch. Having returned from South Africa just a couple of days ago, Wasim Jaffer — Mumbai’s most trusted opener — gave his teammates a quick batting lesson from where the others took on. Sahil Kukreja, who had been missing out on bigger scores after getting good starts, picked the most from the momentum. While Jaffer returned following a typically fluent 78, Kukreja went on to score is first Ranji century.

Mumbai has clearly struggled with the openers this season and Jaffer’s presence in this all-important match was received like a breath of fresh air. The stylish opener, true to his team’s expectation, produced a masterly display on a wicket with its own share of bounce and durability.

“The confidence level was certainly high after playing on the Durban and Cape Town wickets and bowlers like Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini,’’ he said after the day’s play.

At the Golf Ground here in Nasik, Jaffer was up against Maharashtra pacers Anupam Sanklecha, Prashant Bhoir and Harshad Khadiwale — who evidently provided him with enough space and comfort. “But I’m happy the way Sahil and Hiken (Shah) batted,’’ Jaffer added.

He had been constantly checking on Mumbai’s progress even when in South Africa and knowing that he would play this last match, Jaffer had planned the assault with as much precision. “We discussed a few things and I’m happy with the way things have gone about,’’ he said.

Jaffer was on four when Kukreja was batting on 34 early in the day. An aggressive display minutes before lunch brought them on par. In fact, even as Kukreja still remained on 34, his partner went on to complete his half-century, laced with 11 boundaries and two sixes.

The belting went a long way in giving Kukreja the confidence. Jaffer left mid-way, but was there long enough to ensure that his partner carried on with the onslaught.

The right-hander raced away to score 114, laced with 15 hits to the fence. An attempted 16th, unfortunately, ended in a catch at short mid-off. Hiken Shah was riding the wave at 69 as the talented Rohit Sharma joined him in the middle. When the day ended, they were all back with Jaffer in the middle, intent on having another good day.

Brief scores: Mumbai 302/3 (S Kukreja 114, W Jaffer 78, H Shah 69) vs Maharashtra.