Vidarbha in driver’s seat despite Mumbai lower-order fightback in Ranji Trophy semi-final

Mumbai looked to kill time and didn’t indulge in playing rash shots. They looked to play the ball with a straight bat. Anand, who was batting on 67 overnight, cashed in on the occasion of a Ranji semi-final to register his second first-class hundred.

The 29-year-old batsman had waited for years to get a place in this Mumbai squad. He wasn’t considered the first choice but with wicket-keeper Hardik Tamore failing to capitalise on his chances with the bat, the Mumbai team management decided to give him the opportunity. He had scored a ton in the league’s last game against Meghalaya, which cemented his place in the knock-outs. Anand was handy behind the stumps too as he picked off five catches. His father, a former club cricketer in Mumbai as well, wanted his son to take up sport. A batch mate of Shreyas Iyer in his school, Anand has had to wait a while to get this chance.

“I was part of the One-day team last year but didn’t get a chance to play. I’m a batch mate of Shreyas and Shams Mulani. I was extra motivated to do well especially when the situation demanded to stay at the crease,” he said after his marathon innings where he scored 106 off 256 balls.

Left-arm spinner Parth Rekhade, who had dented Mumbai’s middle-order, got Kotian wicket with a ball that travelled between bat and pad to hit the stumps. Anand and number ten Mohit Awasthi tried to hang around before Anand was caught behind while playing on off to medium-pacer Nachiket Bhute. Harsh Dubey got his second of the day as he got Awasthi bowled.

Mumbai would be pleased with the fightback from the tailenders but they could have expected more especially with the game heading towards a result.

Early debacle

Vidarbha didn’t get the best of the start as Shardul Thakur got opener Atharva Taide LBW on the second ball of the second innings. Mumbai took advantage and like the hosts, they too looked to build pressure by bowling tight lines. Danish Malewar looked in touch but couldn’t convert that start as he hit straight to Mulani and got caught. The left-arm spinner got Karun Nair leg before in quick succession and then three overs later opener Dhruv Shorey too lost his wicket to Kotian..

With 56 for 4, Mumbai hoped to wrap Vidarbha up early for a comeback in the game but Rathod and Wadkar ensured their side went wicketless thereafter. Like Mumbai, Vidarbha’s lower-order has contributed more with the bat in the second innings. As they both batted out the toiling Mumbai bowlers, a few veterans quipped that Vidarbha’s real batting order had begun only now. They didn’t give any opportunity to Mumbai and played each ball on its merit. Mumbai waited for one breakthrough – they even made their left arm quick Royston Dias bowl round the wicket but the change was unsuccessful. They added an unbeaten 91-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Rathod scoring back-to-back half centuries in this game.

Their innings has now ensured Vidarbha leading by 260 runs and they will hope to post a competitive total against a star-studded Mumbai line-up. With two more days to go, an interesting contest could be on the cards.

Brief scores: Vidarbha 383 & 147 in 53 overs (Yash Rathod 59 not out; Shams Mulani 2/50) lead Mumbai 270 all out in 92 overs (Akash Anand 106; Parth Rekhade 4/55) by 260 runs.