Rajasthan create history in Ranji Trophy by ousting Mumbai

Among the beaten Rajasthan stalwarts in those days were home grown Test players Hanumant Singh and Salim Durrani and two others who went on to join the Cricket Board8217;s administration,Raj Singh Dungarpur and Kishan Rungta.

On each of the seven occasions the two sides met in the title clash 8212; between 1960-61 and 1969-70,Mumbai clinched the issue,and that too by an outright margin six times.

Mumbai had won their battle four times in a row between 8217;60-61 and 8217;63-64 8212; even as Rajasthan boasted in their ranks Mankad,Gupte,Manjrekar and Rusi Surti 8212; apart from Hanumant and Durrani 8212; in the inaugural clash.

The depth of Mumbai batting in those days 8212; when they ruled the roost 8212; was such that they could afford to lose the services of a stalwart like Manjrekar and still thump Rajasthan for the title.

For example,the 1960-61 Mumbai playing XI had 10 Test players in it,led by the star trio of Polly Umrigar,Gulabrai Ramchand and Bapu Nadkarni,and was backed up by a bowling attack spearheaded by Ramakant 8220;Tiny8221; Desai.

Those were the golden days of Mumbai cricket!