Mumbai complete formality for tittle No 34

The toast of the victory was 20-year-old dimunitive left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar who accounted for the all the three wickets to fall on Sunday. Pawar returned with figures of 7 for 103 and a match tally of 10 wickets for 147 runs.

It was mere formality when Hyderabad, reduced to 251 for 7 overnight, resumed batting on the fifth and final day. They eventually managed only 293.

Mumbai, made to bat first, had scored 376 in the first innings and bowled out the visitors for 195. Tendulkar blasted a ton in the second essay as Mumbai added another 409 runs to the lead of 181 giving Hyderabad a monumental target of 591.

Mumbai were led back to the pavilion by bowler Abey Kuruvilla who bid goodbye to first-class cricket after a distinguished stint of seven years.

Pawar began the on-field celebrations striking in his third over after nine runs were added inducing left-handed Fiaz Ahmed into a false stroke to be caught by substitute (fielding for Sameer Dighe who suffred a dislocated thumb injury on Saturday) Amit Dani at mid-on.

Raju became the next victim edging one to Sachin Tendulkar at slip. Fittingly enough the last catch off Narendra Pal Singh’s blade also headed Tendulkar’s way who juggled before holding the ball on second attempt to call for the Champagne moment.

Within minutes the Mumbai dressing room was the centre of attraction. Shouts of “hip-hip-hurray” rent the air as players hugged and greeted each other. Former India cricketers Polly Umrigar, Balwinder Singh Sandhu and Kiran More, BCCI Chairman Chandu Borde and officials of Mumbai Cricket Association made a beeline to congratulate the winning team.

An elated coach Ashok Mankad’s feelings knew no bounds as he showered heaps of praises on his victorious team. “We have got one of the best compliment from the Board Chairman Chandu Borde who said this was the best team in the history of Mumbai cricket,” Mankad said.

On his own feelings Mankad said, “as a coach my job was to facilitate the crosssing of the boys into match-winners and today I have joyfully collapsed.”

He attributed the success to “the intelligent, matured and hard-core professionals whose attitudinal changes (after having suffered humiliation last season) brought about the sterling performance.”

Mankad had a special praise for spinner Rajesh Pawar who he felt was the “best upcoming all-round cricketer. His tenacity and single-minded approach is admirable,” adding that “he should play for India in a year’s time.”

Captain Sameer Dighe credited the success to Mankad, Sachin Tendulkar and other team members.

“We were like a family, always thinking positively with an aim to win the trophy. Now that we have done it, that’s the biggest achievement for me.”

The win saw Mumbai also claim a prize of Rs. 3.5 lakh, from the BCCI, besides the trophy. Hyderabad, who had a good run up to the final had to be content with Rs. 1.5 lakh as runners-up.

SCOREBOARD

Mumbai (first innings): 376

Hyderabad (first innings): 195

Mumbai (second innings): 409

Hyderabad: 2nd innings (overnight 251-7);

A Nanda Kishore c Tendulkar b Agarkar (18m, 17b, 2×4) 9
Daniel Manohar b Pawar (307m, 204b, 11×4) 71
VVS Laxman c (sub) Amit Dani b Pawar (264m, 192b, 13×4, 2×6) 111
Vanka Pratap lbw Agarkar (30m, 18b) 2
Parth Satwalekar lbw Pawar (73m, 45b, 3×4) 22
Riaz Sheikh b Agarkar (8m, 7b) 1
Mohd Azharuddin c (sub) Amit Pagnis b Pawar (48m, 36b, 1×4) 11
Fiaz Ahmed c (sub) Amit Dani b Pawar (35m, 35b, 3×4) 21
Venkatapathy Raju c Tendulkar b Pawar (42m, 79b, 3×4) 16
Narendra Pal Singh c Tendulkar b Pawar (21m, 20b, 3×4) 14
Kanwaljit Singh not out (5m, 3b) 1
Extras: (b5, lb3, nb6) 14
Total (all out in 98.2 overs, 430 mins) 293
Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Nandakishore), 2-198 (Laxman), 3-202 (Manohar), 4-202 (Pratap), 5-212 (Sheikh), 6-239 (Satwalkar), 7-240 (NP Singh), 8-263 (Ahmed), 9-286 (Raju)
Bowling: Kuruvilla 9-1-24-0, Agarkar 21-4-46-3, Pawar 34.2-8-103-7, Saxena 8-2-26-0, Mhambrey 10-2-47-0, Tendulkar 15-2-38-0, Jaffer 1-0-1-0

Result: Mumbai won 297 runs