In his ninth first class ton, Herwadkar took on TN off-spinner Ravinchandran Ashwin where he slammed him for big shots.
Mumbai opener and southpaw Akhil Herwadkar wore a happy look after the game against Tamil Nadu ended in a draw at the MCA Cricket Academy here on Friday.
He finally got back among runs with a century – 132 (244b, 14x4s, 3x6s) in the second innings after a poor start to the new season. Scores of 25 & 8 (Duleep Trophy), 17 (Ranji Trophy against Madhya Pradesh) and a duck in the first innings against TN did not do any wonders to his confidence.
However, after the match on Friday, he revealed how important the knock was for him. "It was crucial for me. I got a good start last year before foot injury struck. It feels good to have scored a 100 for Mumbai. However, we were short of runs in the first innings as the wicket was a complete batting track," he said.
Was there any plan to bat the way Mumbai did on Friday? "The ball wasn't doing much and there was no turn. Our plan was to play till the end," he said.
There were question marks over the inclusion of Herwadkar in the playing XI as Mumbai left out Jay Bista, who scored century in the last game against Madhya Pradesh. However, the left-hander said it is good to be under pressure.
"Pressure is there every time. It is good for the team. Nobody can take their place for granted. It is also good for me as I will be able to perform and it will also help the team."
In his ninth first class ton, Herwadkar took on TN off-spinner Ravinchandran Ashwin where he slammed him for big shots. "He is a world class bowler. We were asked to watch him out and play a positive game. We did not get carried away because he is Ashwin and played him like a regular bowler."
"He did not use much variations as the ball was already going away for me, but he used carom ball and leg spin for the righties."
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