Badrinaths double puts Mumbai under pressure

For Mumbai,it was yet another day of sweat and toil. With domestic crickets run machine S Badrinath showing no sign of leaving the pitch...

For Mumbai,it was yet another day of sweat and toil. With domestic crickets run machine S Badrinath showing no sign of leaving the pitch,Tamil Nadu were sitting pretty at the end of Day 2 of their Ranji Trophy game at the Bandra Kurla Complex. Badrinaths inning of 250 and his 378-run association with C Ganapathy (126) saw the visitors reach 501 in their first dig.

At stumps,Mumbai were 10 for no loss and considering that the game is likely to be decided by the first innings lead they will have to dig in deep for the next two days. Resuming at 251/5,Badrinath and Ganapathy showed great patience as they negated the new ball on a pitch that seemed to reward those who were willing to stay put. With wickets not coming their way,Mumbai could only hope that the batsmen would play a poor shot,but Badrinath didnt oblige.

He left the balls that were pitched outside the off stump while the ones that were pitched short were dispatched square of the wicket. Mumbai pacemen Dhawal Kulkani and Usman Malvi tried to bend their backs in an effort to get some purchase from the pitch but he either left the rising ball alone or stood on his toes and presented the full face of the bat. His innings,which lasted 476 deliveries,had 20 fours and five sixes.

At the other end,Ganapathy got 126 off 323 balls with 20 fours and one six and Mumbai got their first breakthrough 112 overs into the day,when Ganapathy was run out trying to take a quick single while Badrinath was last man out as Iqbal Abdulla had him caught and bowled.

Usman Malvi and Dhawal Kulkarni took three wickets each while Iqbal Abdulla scalped two.

Tamil Nadu coach WV Raman said it was now the turn of his bowlers to take centre stage. We are happy with the runs on the board but they wont matter if the bowlers dont do well, he said. Mumbai,in turn,will be hoping that their batsmen take a leaf from Badris book.

Brief scores: Tamil Nadu 501 all out (S Badrinath 250,C Ganapathy 126; D Kulkarni 3/93,U Malvi 3/108) vs Mumbai 10 for no loss Delhi vs Maharashtra: Newsline Page 5