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Journalism of Courage
Trust Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina to bring along the sheen and buzz to an otherwise routine Ranji Trophy semifinal at the Wankhede. The two got down on Saturday to real business of making runs — Raina’s attacking 72 alongside Kaif’s typically busy 64 — after Uttar Pradesh had stumbled thrice at a luckless team score of 13 against Mumbai.
Displaying the pluck demanded of India-returns, the duo made up for the early morning disaster with a 123-run fourth-wicket alliance, as UP gained a 51-run lead on Saturday.
After losing three wickets with the total at 13, UP eventually posted 250 in their first-innings, before Mumbai erased 21 from the deficit in the final session.
Kaif and Raina were summoned to the field in quick succession as UP lost their top three to the seaming SG and a strutting Avishkar Salvi, but took off in contrasting fashion thereafter. While Raina raced to his 50 in 74 balls, with six hits to the fence, Kaif, who ran as hard as ever, seemed to be stuck on 49 for four long overs.
His 50 finally came from a square drive off Nilesh Kulkarni and was quickly followed by a six over mid-wicket off the other spinner, Powar. But Raina clearly looked the more fluent while facing Mumbai’s three pacers.
Brief scores
Mumbai 199 and 21/0 vs UP 250 (Kaif 64, Raina 72, Shamshad 40; Salvi 2/56, Powar 3/98, Kulkarni 2/33).
