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Mumbai on the road to final

By Our Special Correspondent

Mumbai debutant Bhavin Thakkar, who made a valiant 76, is congratulated by team-mate Ajit Agarkar on the second day of the Ranji Trophy semifinal in Baroda on Saturday.

Baroda April 25. Mumbai is on the verge of outplaying Baroda in the Ranji Trophy semifinal. The champion team of the past has played such an excellent cricket in more than thirteen hours that there is a possibility of the five-day match getting over well inside the stumps on the third day on Sunday.

After Ajit Agarkar's fiery second spell had dashed the hopes and aspirations of the home team in the pre-lunch session on Friday, the visitors deployed its batting resources very well to make a big total of 390 and approach victory in a most convincing way in which the spinners might come into play a major role.

The speedsters performances in two days have been of the highest class. The local and cheering crowd, though sparse, had a hero in India's fast bowler Zaheer Khan. Having recovered from a hamstring injury, the left-armer might not have bowled flat out. But he appeared to have a trick or two up his sleeve whenever his captain Connor Williams went up to him pleading for breakthroughs, which Zaheer obliged in three of the four short spells he was used sparingly.

Zaheer was responsible for dismissing five Mumbai batsmen, but by the time he had taken the fifth to mark the termination of the Mumbai innings, his team was already facing an uphill task in the match.

Though there is appreciable bounce for the three-pronged Mumbai pace attack to take advantage of, there is the possibility of the visiting team's wrist spinner and finger spinner given a major responsibility when play resumes on the third day. Mumbai skipper Paras Mhambrey has already hinted a fresh dimension being introduced into the match to pile pressure on the Baroda batsmen.

Sairaj Bahutule and Ramesh Powar have bowled only 18 balls, but the turn and lift they managed to get evoked an immediate response in the form of wicketkeeper Vinayak Samant discarding his cap and replacing it with a helmet after collecting a rising delivery from Bahutle neat his throat. Immediately, Mhambrey ushered in off-spinner Powar from the end Agarkar had exhibited his fast bowling skills in four overs. Powar struck in the second ball he bowled. The Baroda skipper, Williams, could not deal with a delivery that gained height, took the edge and landed in the hands of Wasim Jaffer at first slip.

There was some confusion as to whether the over should be completed after the fall of the first Baroda wicket in the last over of the day. After dithering for a while, the umpires called off play. Mumbai began the second day eight runs up on the first innings and with two fairly newcomers in the business of playing a Ranji Trophy knock out match.

Left-hander Nishit Shetty appeared to be very determined to face the challenge against a set of quality bowlers in Zaheer, Rakesh Patel and Irfan Pathan (Jr). So was the case with Bhavin Thakkar, an eleventh hour replacement in the squad because of the withdrawal of Pushkaraj Jadav. Baroda claimed the second new ball in the 82nd over and waited for nearly ten overs to send a fourth Mumbai batsman back to the pavilion. Shetty drew courage to hit Zaheer straight down the ground, but the left arm fast bowler had the last laugh forcing the batsman to literally spoon a catch to Satyajit Parab at mid on.

After the fall of Shetty, Mumbai skipper Mhambrey Mhambrey thwarted the Baroda pace attack before he was bowled by off spinner Ajit Bhoite. The bright part of Mumbai's batting and in fact of the match began to unfold the moment Agarkar (65, 70b, 8x4s, 1x6) appeared in the scene.

Thakkar was clearly under instructions to shun risky shots. Thakkar's usefulness was seen in the two partnerships he forged first with Bahutule and then with Agarkar. These two partnerships — 73 for the sixth and 99 for the seventh — boosted Mumbai's aggregate close to the 400 run mark.

The first risky short he attempted to play, landed Thakkar in trouble after he had batted for 12 minutes short of six hours. He hit eight fours. Once again, Mumbai's batting depth showed its worth and put the team on the road to the final.

The scores:

Baroda — 1st innings: 130

Mumbai — 1st innings: V. Mane lbw b Zaheer 18, W. Jaffer c Mongia b Patel 22, N. Shetty c Parab b Zaheer 74, A. Muzumdar lbw b Zaheer 17, B. Thakkar c Mongia b Arothe 76, P. Mhambrey b Bhoite 19, S. Bahutule b Khan 45, A. Agarkar c Bhoite b Arothe 65, V. Samant c Mongia b Khan 14, R. Powar b Arothe 5, A. Salvi (not out) 15, Extras (b-8, lb-10, nb-2) 20, Total (in 122.3 overs) 390

Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-71, 3-109, 4-147, 5-177, 6-256, 7-355, 8-358, 9-364

Baroda bowling: Zaheer 23.3-8-46-5, Patel 24-10-54-1, Pathan (jr) 26-5-93-0, Buch 19-2-77-0, Bhoite 17-0-54-1, Arothe 13-3-48-3

Baroda — 2nd innings: C. Williams c Jaffer b Powar 6, S. Parab (batting) 6, Extras (nb-4) 4, Total (for one wkt. in 8. 2 overs) 16.

Fall of wickets: 1-16.

Mumbai bowling: Agarkar 4-3-2-0, Salvi 2-1-4-0, Bahutule 2-0-8-0, Powar 0.2-0-2-1.

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