Mhambrey in shining armour saves Mumbai the blushes

Interestingly, the Mumbai batsmen’s nemesis didn’t belong to the pace department. Leg-spinner Dharmendra Chudasama (5-67), was the man responsible for inducing a collapse in the second session that saw Mumbai lose six wickets for 81. The 28-year-old Chudasama, who has returned to the side after almost a two-year gap, extracted a fair amount of bounce that unsettled the batsmen.

It was only after Kuruvilla joined Mhambrey at thecrease, that Mumbai’s fortunes were revived. The two rained six sixes and struck nine boundaries, mostly against spinners Chudasama and Niraj Odedara. Their pyrotechnics raised 63 runs for the seventh wicket in 15 overs.

The 28-year-old Mhambrey, who may fast claim property rights of the Wankhede rectangle, enacted another batting exhibition that bordered on sheer grit. His earlier innings at the venue 117 against Maharashtra too came under a crisis when the side was tottering at 7-139.

Even as Kuruvilla departed, Mhambrey continued his bravado by encouraging the tailenders. With Santosh Saxena, he put on 27 runs and also completed his fifty in style, lofting Odedara over the mid-wicket fence.

Mhambrey, however, was lucky to have survived when on 14 he was grassed by Kamal Chavda at the mid-wicket fence off Odedara.

Saurashtra skipper Sitanshu Kotak breathed a sigh of relief this morning when the coin spun in his favour and he immediately put the opposition in. However, the second wicket pair ofopener Amit Pagnis (45: 113b, 158m, 5×4) and wicket-keeper batsman Amol Rane (43: 67b, 104m, 8×4) put paid to Kotak’s aspirations with a 69-run association. It was the most productive session for Mumbai, fetching 124 runs.

Immediately after resumption, Pagnis offered no stroke to a Chavda delivery and was adjudged leg-before. His dismissal triggered a slide arrested by the Mhambrey-Kuruvilla pair.

In between, Amol Muzumdar (51: 95b, 131m, 8×4) was the only anchor that Mumbai could bank upon. The Mumbai skipper, who combated the rival attack with assurance, appeared heading for a big score. But he was undone by the bounce of Chudasama’s leg-break that induced an edge from his forward defensive stroke.

Having allowed Mumbai to gain the initiative, Saurashtra batsmen face another trial of strength on the morrow against a three-pronged pace attack.

Scoreboard
MUMBAI (1st innings):
Wasim Jaffer c Jadeja b Garsondia 18
(42b, 75m, 2×4)
Amit Pagnis lbw Chavda 45 (113b, 158m, 5×4)
AmolRane c V Kumar b Odedara 43
(67b, 104m, 8×4)
A Muzumdar c Parmar b Chudasama 51
(95b, 131m, 8×4)
Vinod Kambli lbw Chudasama 12
(26b, 30m, 2×4)
Pushkaraj Jadhav lbw Chudasama 5
(36b, 35m)
Sairaj Bahutule b Chudasama 1
(9b, 12m)
Paras Mhambrey not out 65
(102b, 122m, 7×4, 3×6)
Abey Kuruvilla st Parmar b Odedara 27
(46b, 58m, 2×4, 3×6)
Nilesh Kulkarni c Kotak b Chudasama 0
(7b, 5m)
Santosh Saxena c Bhatt b Chavda 1
(12b, 27m)
Extras (5b, 7lb, 1w, 16nb) 29
Total (in 89.5 overs; 383 mins) 297
Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Jaffer), 2-125 (Pagnis), 3-135 (Rane), 4-159 (Kambli), 5-175 (Jadhav), 6-183 (Bahutule), 7-206 (Muzumdar), 8-269 (Kurvilla), 9-270 (Kulkarni), 10-297 (Saxena)
Bowling: Rajesh Garsondia 16-2-48-1 (5nb, 1w), Kamal Chavda 20.5-2-82-2 (11nb), Niraj Odedara 27-8-88-2, Dharmendra Chudasama 26-8-67-5

Bedade bangs ton in Baroda fightback
PUNE: Hard-hitting batsman Atul Bedade celebrated his recall to Ranjicricket with a swashbuckling innings on the opening day against Maharashtra at Nehru Stadium today.

Bedade slammed the 11th century of his career as he steered Baroda to the safe haven of 309 for seven.

Bedade and skipper Tushar Arothe put on 190 runs for the fifth wicket after Baroda was in dire straits at 49 for four at one stage.

“Yes, I relish playing here in Pune,” said Bedade whose innings was watched by the BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele and selection committee chairman Chandu Borde. The hosts struck late blows claiming three wickets in the final session of play.

Pulling and hooking with ease, Bedade raced to his 50 in just 66 balls and was still faster as he hooked Aradhye over the square leg to reach his hundred (103) in 103 deliveries. He was let-off by Shantanu Sugwekar when he was on 74. Siddiqui was the bowler to suffer. Captain Arothe played a subdued knock at the other end. Bedade fell when he stepped out to Aradhye only to be stumped by SanjayKhondhalkar.

Scoreboard
Baroda 1st innings
Connor Williams c & b Siddiqui 34
(116m, 70b, 5×4)
R Swaroop c Khondhalkar b Siddiqui 3
(21m, 12b)
Satyajit Parab c Kale b Lande 46
(87m, 60b, 7×4)
N Mongia c Khondhalkar b Lande 7
(27m, 18b)
Tushar Arothe lbw M Kulkarni 60
(278m, 189b, 8×4)
A Bedade st Khondhalkar b Lande 139
(206m, 166b, 21×4, 2×6)
H Jadhav c Khondhalkar b Aradhye 4
(43m, 29b, 1×4)
Moinuddin Kadri batting 0
Extras: (l4, lb6, nb5, w1) 16
Total (for 7 wkts 89.5 overs, 395mts) 309
Fall of wickets: 1/9 (R Swaroop), 2/86 (S Parab), 3/88 (N Mongia), 4/94 (C Williams), 5/284 (A Bedade), 6/308 (H Jadhav), 7/309 (T Arothe).
Bowling: Iqbal Siddiqui 29-8-89-2 (nb-1), Milind Kulkarni 17.5-2-69-1 (w-1, nb-3), Sachin Aradhye 11-2-49-1, Satyen Lande 23-8-66-3, Sagar Shah 9-3-26-0.