On an absorbing day of cricket where fortunes ebbed and flowed from ball one, Kerala and Mumbai battled tooth and nail to seize the initiative at the St Xavier’s College ground, Thumba on Friday. And by stumps on Day 1, Kerala seemed to have their noses in front after having shot out Mumbai for 251.
The hosts, however, would be feeling aggrieved as they let Mumbai off the hook after having half their side back in the pavilion before lunch.
On a surface that challenged the batsmen,
Tanush Kotian
(56), Shivam Dube (51) and Bhupen Lalwani (50) struck contrasting half-centuries to lead Mumbai’s fightback. However, like in the previous two matches, none of the Mumbai batters managed to convert their starts into something substantial.
The morning session was a riveting affair after Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane opted to take first strike.
The visitors couldn’t have got off to a worse start as they lost two wickets off the first two deliveries. Pacer
Basil Thampi
continued his impressive form with the ball by trapping
Jay Bista
(0) in front of the wicket to provide the hosts a dream beginning. He induced a nick from Rahane off the next delivery and Sanju Samson, who was donning the wicketkeeping gloves for the first time in
Ranji Trophy
this season, gleefully accepted the catch. This was Rahane’s second successive golden duck in Ranji Trophy this season and the visitors were 0/2.
And when seamer Vishweshwar Suresh had Suved Parkar (18) caught behind, Mumbai were in deep trouble at 41 for three.
Despite losing three wickets, Mumbai counter-attacked through Lalwani and Prasad Pawar. The duo put on a quick 65-run partnership for the fourth wicket before the two were dismissed in the space of two deliveries. While Pawar (28) was snared by leggie
Shreyas Gopal
, Lalwani fell to off-spinner Jalaj Saxena.
Things could have been better for Kerala had Sachin Baby managed to hold on to a catch offered by Dube off seamer MD Nidheesh when he was on 12.
The reprieve allowed Dube to play in his customary aggressive fashion and score a fifty before he was caught behind off Gopal. Dube’s knock came off 72 balls and was studded with four 4s and two 6s.
At 172 for seven, Kerala fancied their chances of bowling out Mumbai below the 200-run mark. However, allrounder Tanush Kotian produced a fine rearguard action for the visitors. Continuing his impressive form with the bat, Kotian hit his third consecutive half-century as the Mumbai tail rallied around him to help the visitors cross the 250-run mark. Kotian was the last man out and his 105-ball knock was laced with six 4s.
For Kerala, Gopal was the main wicket-taker as he accounted for Mumba batters. Basil and Jalaj chipped in with two each.
Brief scores: Mumbai 251 all out in 78.4 overs (Bhupen Lalwani 50, Shivam Dube 51, Tanush Kotian 56; Shreyas Gopal 4/28, Basil Thampi 2/41, Jalaj Saxena 2/80) vs Kerala.
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