Mumbai failed to fully capitalise on the batting efforts of centurions Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Musheer Khan on a slow burn of a second day in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group D tie against Haryana on Tuesday.
The hosts, resuming on their overnight score of 290/3, were bowled out for 430. Haryana in reply were 108/2 at stumps after Musheer took both the wickets with his left-arm spin, making him the standout performer with bat and ball.
However, there’s still plenty of work to do for the visitors as the ball is beginning to take spin on the red-soil surface at the Sharad Pawar Academy ground.
Mumbai skipper Siddhesh Lad fell early in the morning session to pacer Aman Kumar for 33, his first low score of the season. Soon after, Sarfaraz Khan (40) was trapped lbw by Nishant Sindhu. For once, Mumbai’s lower-middle order couldn’t inflict too much pain on the Haryana bowlers as the innings was wrapped up mid-way through the day’s proceedings. Tanush Kotian at No.8 struck a half century (52-96b, 4×4), which could prove to be crucial if the off-spinner can back it up with wickets.
All but nine of the 39 overs were bowled by Mumbai spinners with the pitch beginning to break up enough to keep them in the business. Kotian and left-arm spinner Shams Mulani were persistent, but Haryana openers Ankit Kumar and Himanshu Rana denied them. However, Mumbai had strong spin back-up in Musheer who turned the screws by quickly getting among the wickets.
Musheer, who came to limelight with wickets as a wonderkid in his school days, knows he would have to bide his time with the ball at the Ranji level. On most days, he plays the support cast to the seasoned Kotian and Mulani. When they find wickets hard to come by, he is quick to pounce on the opportunity. “When I get the ball in my hand, I become a proper bowler,” he said. “Today, I knew there was enough assistance from the pitch. All I had to do was bowl in the right areas. With red-ball cricket, all I look to do is focus on my stock ball.”
The stock ball of Musheer (109-185b, 12×4, 1×6) was enough to cause early jitters in the Haryana dressing room. If the late day pressure-building tactics with constant appeals are any indication, Mumbai’s spin trio will come out hunting for wickets on Day 3 in conditions they know the best. For Haryana, the talented Nishant Sindhu, who plays for Gujarat Titans, is still at the crease on 17