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Ranji Trophy Final: Cliffhanger on the cards between Mumbai and Gujarat

Mumbai and Gujarat deploy surprising tactics that sets up exciting last day with Parthiv and Co needing 265 more to win

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Mumbai’s Abhishek Nayar plays a shot as Gujarat wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel looks on during Day 4 of the Ranji Trophy final at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Friday
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It’s not easy when a team plays Mumbai in a Ranji Trophy final. Expecting to walk away with a first innings lead thinking that it would serve the purpose is something that should be least expected.

It’s not for nothing that the lions have won the most coveted domestic trophy 41 times. And Gujarat would know it by now.

The  Parthiv Patel-led Gujarat, chasing a target of 312 to win, are in control right now with openers unbeaten – Samit Gohel and Priyank Panchal (34) – at 47 for no loss on the fourth day at stumps. However, going after 265 more runs to win on the last day will be an uphill task.

Despite being in the driver’s seat Gujarat outfit left the Holkar Stadium immediately after the stumps were drawn without interacting with the media.

For Mumbai, it was that man Abhishek Nayar once again. The veteran war-horse played the saviour with a gem of a knock – 91 – that helped the defending champions bounce back and gave them another shot to have a go at the title after giving away the first innings lead.

His crucial innings and Aditya Tare’s half century guided Mumbai to 411 runs, before being folded out by the oppositions.

Although it was not attractive, Nayar’s knock was calculated and important. He mixed caution with aggression as he did not have the partners to fight along with him at the other end.

Changing their tactic, Gujarat bowlers chose to be on the money from the word go on day four, having lost out many overs the previous day bowling away from the batsmen.

They were rewarded for keeping it on the stumps as they got two important wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Siddhesh Lad in the first session.

Yadav, who did a good job of sticking at the wicket — scoring a 215-ball 49, fell to a rash flick shot to Rush Kalaria, resulting in him giving a catch into the hands of wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel. He did not even wait for the umpire to lift his finger.

Lad, too, could not survive long after an impressive start. He fell to seamer RP Singh by pulling a short one to the deep square leg field, a few minutes before lunch. Earlier, the same shot had gone over it.

It was then left to captain Aditya Tare and Nayar to take Mumbai to a safe zone.  

The experienced duo did that well for a while. The right-left combination worked as Tare got few boundaries in quick succession, which lifted Mumbai’s game.

Even as the partnership appeared to stabilise, Gujarat’s left-arm spinner Hardik Patel broke it trapping Tare leg before stumps for 69.

With six wickets down at 297 for seven, it was a hard task for Nayar. But the strong headed south-paw once again showed his toughness even as Parthiv spread the field when he would be on strike.

There came a time when he lost two decent bat — Shardul Thakur and Balwinder Singh Sandhu – in a span of two overs.

Nayar did not give up. He kept on fighting. He did not take quick runs and chose to be on the strike more often than to let tail-ender Vishal Dabholkar face the Gujaratbowlers.

After tea, Nayar reached his half century before seamer Chintan Gaja struck to dismiss Dabholkar, his sixth victim.

Once Dabholkar got out, Nayar went after the Gujarat attack, hitting five big sixes that upped the slow run rate.

As he was on course for his second century of the season, Nayar, who was in the mood to go after the bowlers, missed RP’s full toss that trapped him leg before the wicket, ending Mumbai’s innings at 411.

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