Want to play for Mumbai, got to be khadoos.
Mumbai registered a convincing six-wicket victory against Tamil Nadu in their Ranji Trophy semi-final encounter at Rajkot on Thursday. Having been set a target of 251 on a day five wicket, Aditya Tare's boys sailed through comfortably with an entire session to spare. There were several factors that contributed to the 41-times Ranji champs' win: All-round performances by Abhishek Nayar and Shardul Thakur, responsible batting by Praful Waghela, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav and Tare, and uninspiring bowling by the Tamil Nadu attack.
However, the highlight of the match was 17-year-old Prithvi Shaw's match-winning century in a pressure situation on the final day. The right-handed opener made a mature 120 off 175 balls, studded with 13 boundaries and one six. The youngster was deservedly declared the Man of the Match and the happiness on his face was hard to miss. "I would like to thank the coach and my team-mates for guiding me. It's every player's dream to represent their state side and I'm glad that I could score a century on my debut," said a visibly delighted Shaw.
Here he is speaking during the presentation ceremony:
However, as memorable as the day was for Shaw, it wasn't without its fair share of bumps. The diminutive opener had a major scare when he was batting on 99 as he drove a wide delivery straight into the hands of the gully fielder. His despair soon turned into delight when the third-umpire declared him not-out as the bowler had over-stepped the crease to bowl a no-ball.
Here is the slice of luck that Shaw had on 99:
But the incident that will surely stay in young Shaw's heart for years to come is his encounter with Mumbai coach Chandrakant Pandit at the end of the match. Mumbai prides itself on the khadoos character of its players. Unlike other teams, the champion side has always laid great emphasis on not giving up till the end and not taking any moment on the field for granted.
Thus, it didn't come as a surprise to see Pandit not amused by Shaw's dismissal after getting to his century. With Mumbai needing a mere ten runs to win, Shaw decided to fast-track the process and went for a huge slog sweep. But the ball went straight up and all he could manage was a catch to the mid-wicket fielder.
As Mumbai completed their victory and the players celebrated in the dressing room, it was amusing to see Pandit give a dressing down to Shaw for failing to bat through till the end, even as the teenager tried to give his coach a congratulatory hug.
Well, if you want to play for Mumbai, you got to be khadoos.
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 "Cricket, Web Exclusive, mumbai, tamil nadu, mumbai v/s tamil nadu, chandrakant pandit, prithvi shaw, abhishek nayar, aditya tare")
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