Sport - Cricket

Dhawal Kulkarni destroys Hyderabad

Mumbai: Dhawal Kulkarni staked his claim as a leader of the Mumbai attack with an admirable seven for 50 undertaking that was chiefly responsible for his side’s resounding victory by an innings and 108 runs against Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy Super League match at the Bandra-Kurla-Complex here on Friday.

If Mumbai has virtually booked its berth in the national championship quarterfinals, it has been largely because of Kulkarni’s 26 wickets at a fraction lower than 16 in five matches.

Mumbai jumped to the top position in its group collecting six points from the match that ended three-quarters of an hour before lunch on the fourth and final day.

Saurashtra and Gujarat are second and third in the group with 18 points each.

The tyro seamer who will enjoy the teenager status for another five days, Kulkarni is not a red-hot fast bowler with a long run up and intentions of intimidating the batsmen.

He bursts off of a short run up, manipulates the seam, varies his length and digs in an odd short ball and maintains a good line. Ravi Teja was to the first to fall to him on Friday in the fourth ball he faced and at the overnight score of 107.

Thereafter it was a procession, though Abhinav Kumar (62) was resolute and hard to be shaken for two and half hours. Skipper Wasim Jaffer eventually tossed the ball to Kulkarni who like a magic snapped up Kumar with a short ball.

Jaffer held a shoulder high catch with two hands at second slip, his fourth in the Hyderabad second innings.

It was a first, first class match played at the BKC and the Mumbai senior players and coach, keen to play this match at the Brabourne Stadium or the Railway Ground at Mahalaxmi, would be happy with the result.

The scores:

Mumbai — 1st innings: 602 for six decl.

Hyderabad — 1st innings: 251.

Hyderabad — 2nd innings: T. Suman lbw Kulkarni 5, Ravi Teja c Samant b Kulkarni 107, Rushi Raj c Mane b Malvi 4, Anoop Pai c Jaffer b Kulkarni 2, Arjun Yadav c Jaffer b Bahutule 22, A. Kumar c Jaffer b Kulkarni 62, A. Quadri b Kulkarni 0, M.P. Arjun c Jaffer b Kulkarni 0, S.M. Shoiab c Rahane b Kulkarni 14, A. Yadav c Muzumdar b Bahutule 12, L. Mohan (not out) 2; Extras (nb-9, w-4) 13. Total (in 57.1 overs) 243.

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-13, 3-38, 4-126, 5-167, 6-168, 7-170, 8-190, 9-241

Mumbai bowling: Kulkarni 16-1-50-7, Malvi 13-2-77-1, Agarkar 8-1-49-0, Powar 7-1-34-0, Bahutule 11.1-0-26-2, Sharma 1-0-7-0, Muzumdar 1-1-0-0.

Plate group: At Guwahati: Bengal 118 for five in 43 overs (Manoj Tiwari batting 40, Anand Kati three for 44).

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