UP in sight of first final berth as Mumbai lose their way

The Mumbai-Uttar Pradesh tie at Wankhede is interestingly poised, reckon blokes from both sides on the third evening of the five-day semifin...

2 min readMumbaiJan 23, 2006 12:00 AM IST

The Mumbai-Uttar Pradesh tie at Wankhede is interestingly poised, reckon blokes from both sides on the third evening of the five-day semifinal. That is to mean that the result, which in all probability should be achieved before closure on Monday, can swing either ways.

Except that Mumbai carry a host of other sentiments like hope, prayer and concern to qualify their ‘interesting’ situation, while the visitors can easily view their own setting with a tinge of confidence and optimism.

Semantics apart, the equation for UP reads 175 runs required for a win with nine wickets and all of the two days left, after Mumbai’s batsmen set them a target of 214 runs after their second essay.

The hosts ran into early trouble on Sunday, with UP seamer Ashish Winston Zaidi putting them in annoyingly familiar environs, as the Mumbai batsmen took an uneasy lunch in the dressing room at 87-4.

Left to the older guard, Amol Muzumdar and Ramesh Powar, stood up to the challenge posed by UP’s rampaging medium pacers as the battle-hardened duo put on 119 for the fifth-wicket. Muzumdar, who has tallied 672 runs to emerge with the season’s highest aggregate, eventually fell 14 short of recording his third hundred this season.

Uttar Pradesh, eager to avoid the early-morning demons that the wicket throws up, had cancelled out 39 from the target quickly, with 30 runs coming from hits to the fence and one over it. Praveen Kumar, promoted to open was lost in the riposte, but Md Kaif 9 n.o and Shivkant Shukla 12 n.o. played out the day. Playing catch up for all three days now, Mumbai is looking for a twist in the tale and some prodigious turn.

Brief scores: Mumbai 199 and 264 Muzumdar 86, Samant 64,R Powar 41, Zaidi 4-62, P Kumar 3-68 vs Uttar Pradesh 250 and 39 for 1

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

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