After drawing game with Karanataka, 40-time champions qualify for knockouts based on points
Mumbai should consider themselves lucky to have qualified for the Ranji Trophy knock-out following their drawn encounter against Karnataka at the end of league phase on Monday.
With the crucial three points for their 21-run first innings lead, Mumbai finished on 20 points to become the third team from Group A to enter the quarterfinals.
Mumbai have to thank Bengal, and particularly Wriddhiman Saha and Saurasish Lahiri, for fighting till the end to deny Madhya Pradesh (19 pts, 4th) an outright victory in Indore.
With Tamil Nadu (29 points, 2nd behind Karnataka's 33) becoming the second team from Group A to secure the quarterfinal spot following their seven-wicket win over Baroda (18 pts, 5th) and Uttar Pradesh (15 pts, 7th) defeating Railways (16 pts, 6th) in Delhi, Mumbai's only hope was that Bengal (13 pts, 8th) should not lose to MP. A victory for MP would have meant end of the Ranji season for Mumbai.
Following on after being 295 behind on first innings against MP, Bengal were facing an innings defeat at 212/7. But Saha and Lahiri batted for nearly 55 overs to salvage a draw. Bengal avoided relegation to Group C.
Mumbai lost their second innings wickets regularly after resuming the fourth and final day at 19/0. They eventually declared at 223/8 an hour and 10 minutes after lunch to set Karnataka a victory target of 245 from a minimum of 39 overs.
Mumbai showed urgency in stepping up the scoring much late in their second innings. The intent to force a victory was missing in the pre-lunch session as Karnataka largely operated with their leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal and off-spinner Udit Patel. The duo sent down 31 of the 57 overs, taking six wickets between them. Mumbai lost wickets not with their batsman going for quick runs but playing defensively, falling to catches around the bat in the process.
First innings centurion Nikhil Patil scored at a run-a-ball in his 48 before Suryakumar Yadav went for the shots post lunch to remain unbeaten on 77.
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