Hits an unbeaten 129 to help Mumbai give strong reply to TN but hosts’ job is far from over.
Mumbai gave a strong reply to Tamil Nadu in the first innings of their Ranji Trophy super league contest. Thanks to an unbeaten 129 by skipper Wasim Jaffer, the hosts ended Day 3 at 308/3 at the MCA Ground in Bandra Kurla Complex on Thursday.
Mumbai started the day with overnight batsmen Praful Waghela and Sahil Kukreja looking solid. But it didn’t last long as Waghela was induced to drive a widish L Balaji delivery that went straight to S Anirudha at point. Ajinkya Rahane came at one-down and looked edgy initially. Rahane and Kukreja kept the scoreboard ticking until the latter nicked a Yo Mahesh delivery to S Badrinath at first slip.
Jaffer joined Rahane and started milking the attack. Rahane faced troubled from 16-year old left-arm spinner R Aushik Srinivas and survived a close LBW shout, a caught behind appeal and a missed stumping — all before lunch.
Post lunch, Rahane reached his fifty in style driving Abhinav Mukund through covers for a boundary. But the most memorable moment of the day was Jaffer’s run to his half-century. He reached the milestone with a straight six off Srinivas. Jaffer followed that with another six off the very next ball, sending the TN camp into a tizzy. The six landed right on the bench where the Tamil Nadu support staff and players were sitting.
That signalled the start of the leather hunt for TN, which until Day Two Jaffer’s boys were doing. They went for Tea adding 111 runs in the session. In the last session, the two looked in sombre mood, mixing caution with little aggression. Rahane started looking better in the company of his illustrious skipper.
On 98, Rahane tried to steal a single off Srinivas, by steering a delivery. But that was not to happen as the batsman got a faint edge which keeper U Sushil did not fail to pouch. Rahane stood his ground for sometime before leaving the crease. “I was clearly out, I stood their probably not believing what happened,” said Rahane after the end of the Day’s play.
Jaffer went into the dressing room on 129, with Onkar Khanvilkar in tow, for a well deserved ice-bath. Mumbai trail Tamil Nadu by 193 and they need their skipper to stay as long as he can.
TN 1st innings:
501; Mumbai 1st innings (O/N 10-0): P Waghela c Anirudha b Balaji 24, S Kukreja c Badrinath b Mahesh 31, A Rahane c Sushil b A Srinivas 98, W Jaffer batting 129, O Khanvilkar batting 18; Extras: (B4, LB3, NB1) 8; Total: (3 wickets; 96 overs) 308 (3.20 r.p.o); FoW: 1-40, 2-72, 3-265; Bowling: Ganapathy 17-6-31-0, Balaji 19-4-62-1, Srinivas 31-8-96-1, Mahesh 10-1-37-1, Mukund 2-0-20-0, Kumar 11-0-35-0, Karthik 3-1-12-0, Badrinath 2-0-4-0, Vijay 1-0-4-0
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