Sachin decimates attack, almost puts Azhar’s boys out of race

MUMBAI, APRIL 21: Sachin Tendulkar was doing duty for India in Sharjah when he made a request to the Board of Control for Cricket in India...

MUMBAI, APRIL 21: Sachin Tendulkar was doing duty for India in Sharjah when he made a request to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to put off the Ranji Trophy semi-finals by a couple of days. It was an act born out of his passionto help Mumbai avail of his services in the semi-finals. Request granted, Tendulkar went on to leave his stamp in successive matches that has virtually given Mumbai their 34th title triumph in the National Championship for cricket in India.

Tendulkar followed up his unbeaten double century in the semi-finals by scoring a whirlwind 128 (124 balls, 13×4, 3×6) on Friday, that was largely instrumental in Mumbai setting an improbable victory target of 591. Two days of action remain in the season-ending finale at the Wankhede Stadium, but a realistic Hyderabad must already be looking at a truncated finish.

It was a good Friday for Mumbai as the holiday spectators — numbering over 15,000 — feasted on the eight sixes and 44 boundaries that were struck on the day. The Mumbai innings was decorated by three century stands: 103 27.3 overs for the first wicket between captain Sameer Dighe and Wasim Jaffer; 109 in 18.5 for the third wicket between Jatin Paranjpe and Tendulkar and 105 in 18.1 overs for the fourth wicket between Tendulkar and Kambli (56: 83m, 56b, 4×4, 3×6).

But the principal attraction for the crowd was Tendulkar. And the maestrodid not disappoint them as the aura of his brilliance briefly illuminated the country’s much-neglected domestic cricket.

Tendulkar was greeted to a familiar roar as he walked to the crease just before the lunch break. He began with a paddle sweep off, off-spinner Kanwaljit Singh for a four and then despatched the next ball effortlessly over the straight field for a six.

Tendulkar came from the break and targetted Fiaz Ahmed to hammer the medium-pacer for four consecutive fours. He first drove straight, then pulled a short one to mid-wicket, followed it up with an exquisitely-timed drive through covers that bisected two fielders and ended up with blazing pull to the mid-wicket fence.

It was an over in which the bowler lost his composure as he sent down a wide and two no-balls including one that sailed high over Tendulkar’s head to land straight into the wicketkeeper’s gloves. Ahmed conceded 19 in the over.

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Tendulkar reached his fifty in 45 balls and in the process transformed his subdued partner, Jatin Paranjpe. The left-hander broke free the self-imposed shackles to drive and pull spin twins Kanwaljit Singh and Venkapathy Raju. Growing in confidence, he stepped out twice to hoist Raju over long-on and mid-wicket.

Vinod Kambli joined the party at Paranjpe’s fall. Mumbai were now truly in the fast lane. Kambli began with a straight six off Kanwaljit before thumping some forceful backfoot drives and pulls. He then danced down the track to send Raju over long-on. Chants of Kaam-b-li, Kaam-b-li’ echoed around the ground as bash was now in full flow. Kambli, ever the party man, found the atmosphere to his liking as he now went down on one knee to thrash Kanwaljit over mid-wicket for another six. He reached his fifty in 45 balls before Kanwaljit gained his revenge.

Tendulkar sustained his charge to complete his 13th Ranji hundred — the 42nd of his first class career. A few more hits to the fence were followed by a huge six off Kanwaljit before Tendulkar offered Narendra Pal Singh a return catch.

The exit of Tendulkar saw a section of the crowd in a sustained bottle-throwing spree bringing the game to a 10-minute halt.

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Mumbai lost the latter order of their batting in their quest for quick runs as Raju — substituting for the injured Mohammed Azharuddin as skipper for the entire day — ended with a five-wicket haul. Kanwaljit claimed four, which saw him end the season with a tally of 62 wickets — the joint second highest tally in a Ranji season tally with Dodda Ganesh (Karnataka). The record stands to the credit of Bishen Singh Bedi, who scalped 64 in a season.

SCOREBOARD

Mumbai: (1st innings) 376

Hyderabad: (1st innings) 195

Mumbai: (2nd innings)

Sameer Dighe lbw Kanwaljit (127m, 101b, 7×4) 46
Wasim Jaffer c Raju b Kanwaljit (118m, 76b, 6×4) 55
Jatin Paranjpe c Manohar b Raju (81m, 61b, 4×4, 2×6) 42
Sachin Tendulkar c & b Narendra Pal Singh (173m, 124b, 13×4, 3×6) 128
Vinod Kambli c Narendra Pal Singh b Kanwaljit (83m, 56b, 4×4, 3×6) 56
Amol Muzumdar lbw Raju (53m, 32b, 1×4) 15
Paras Mhambrey c Ahmed b Raju (57m, 47b, 6×4) 31
Ajit Agarkar c Kanwaljit b Raju (7m, 8b) 1
Rajesh Pawar lbw Kanwaljit (22m, 14b) 5
Abey Kuruvilla c Manohar b Raju (19m, 22b, 2×4) 13
Santosh Saxena not out (6m, 7b, 1×4) 4
Extras: (lb1, w1, nb11) 13
Total: (all out in 89.3 overs, 379 mins) 409
Fall of wickets: 1-103 (Jaffer, 27.3 overs), 2-106 (Dighe, 29.2), 3-215 (Paranjpe, 48.1), 4-320 (Kambli, 66.2), 5-344 (Tendulkar, 69.3), 6-376 (Muzumdar, 77.4), 7-378 (Agarkar, 79.4), 8-389 (Mhambrey, 83.3), 9-397 (Pawar, 86.5)
Bowling: Narendra Pal Singh 12-1-76-1 (nb4), Ahmed 12-0-48-0 (nb4, w1), Manohar 5-0-25-0 (nb3), Raju 28.3-7-123-5, Kanwaljit 32-4-136-4