Parsana ton not enough for Saurashtra

Parsana, who turns 28 next month, launched the fightback in company of Prakash Bhat (81: 197b, 235m, 8×4) after Saurashtra — overnight 122 for three — had lost Sitanshu Kotak (45) and Brij Dutta (48) early.

While Parsana (102: 145b, 147m, 12×4, 6×6) used the long-handle to good effect, Bhatt was content playing second fiddle which saw the sixth-wicket pair raise 153 runs.

Parsana was particularly severe on left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni, clouting him for five sixes. He brought up his fifty by hitting a six and in followed it with another big blow and then a four, all in succession, to score 16 runs in an over.

Parsana, nephew of Saurashtra’s present coach and former Test spinner Dhiraj, however, lasted only ten deliveries after the medium-pacers were brought into the attack.

Ajit Agarkar trapped him leg before after he played all over an incutter. But by then he had notched his second century in Ranji Trophy. “I simply played my natural game,” was all he had to add while reflecting on his knock later in the day. The 25-year-old Mumbai medium-pacer Paras Mhambrey then took charge claiming three wickets in eight balls to end up with a five-wicket haul (5-78). His spell with the second new ball read an impressive 8-3-24-3.

For Manjrekar, the placid nature of the pitch came as a surprise which saw a revisionin the team’s game-plan. “I was surprised by the flatness of the track which forced us to shelve the plan for an outright victory. Half-way through, we had decided that once we bowl out Saurashtra, we would be batting again,” he explained.

On the overdependence of spinners today, Manjrekar said it was in keeping with the team’s long-term plans. “I always knew that the seamers would get them out but it was mandatory to give the debutante off-spinner Faisal Shaikh a long spell. For, all the while we have been playing without an off-spinner and we needed to try him out for before the Super League campaign starts. He bowled extremely well,” he said.

In Mumbai’s second innings, Jaffer faltered again. However, Manjrekar, who opened the innings, citing the need of match practice, is batting on 13 along with Amol Muzumdar, who had yet to open his account.

Though the day belonged to Saurashtra, it wasn’t enough. And if Manjrekar is to be believed, Saurashtra would have to be content with only three points from this encounter.

SCOREBOARD

Mumbai (1st innings): 538-5 decl
Saurashtra (1st innings) (overnight 122-3): Sudhir Tanna c N Kulkarni b Mhambrey 18, Jayesh Motivaras b Shaikh 26, Sitanshu Kotak c N Kulkarni b Saxena 45, Bimal Jadeja c Agarkar b Mhambrey 7, Brij Dutta b N Kulkarni 48, Prakash Bhatt c&b Mhambrey 81, Hitesh Parsana lbw Agarkar 102, Manoj Parmar c S Kulkarni b Mhambrey 1, Narendra Rana c Paranjpe b Mhambrey 4, Yusuf Bambhania lbw N Kulkarni 21, Rajesh Garsondia not out 6;
Extras: (b9, lb6, w4, nb8) 27.
Total: (all out in 133.5 overs, 536 minutes) 386
Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-56, 3-72, 4-152, 5-180, 6-333, 7-354, 8-358, 9-361
Bowling: Mhambrey 25-3-78-5, Agarkar 21-7-73-1, N Kulkarni 39.5-10-103-2, Saxena 17-3-50-1, Shaikh 27-10-52-1, Jaffer 3-0-14-0, Kambli 1-0-1-0

Mumbai (2nd innings): Wasim Jaffer c Parmar b Garsondia 0, Sanjay Manjrekar batting 13, Amol Muzumdar batting 0;
Extras: (b2, lb2, nb1) 5.
Total: (for one wicket in 5 overs; 24 minutes) 18
Fall of wicket: 1-1
Bowling: Garsondia 3-1-7-1 (1nb), Rana 2-1-7-0.