A day after Mumbai’s mammoth total, Gujarat reply in kind with
captain Parthiv Patel and Bhavik Thakker hitting unbeaten tons.
Three days, 1080 runs, 270 overs and only nine wickets! This simple piece of statistic shows how the Cricket Club of India (CCI) wicket has behaved during the Ranji Trophy Super League group A tie between Mumbai and Gujarat.
In reply to the hosts’ 648/6 declared, the visitors, too, were placed well at 432/3 with skipper Parthiv Patel (148) and Bhavik Thakker (111) remaining unbeaten at stumps on the penultimate day on Thursday.
After Rohit Sharma hit his maiden triple ton on Wednesday, it was Parthiv’s turn to send the Mumbai bowlers on a leather hunt. The skipper was accompanied well in his mission by Thakker, who came in after Niraj Patel was run out for 57.
After staying away from the field for nearly four sessions due to a viral infection, the Gujarat captain looked in his elements since the time he walked in at the fall of Rikin Chauhan (53), who edged one to Vinayak Samant off Dhawal Kulkarni early in the first session. Parthiv, though, survived an anxious moment in the first hour when umpire K Hariharan raised his finger to a catch taken by Samant off Kulkarni. But following discussions with on-field umpire Nitin Menon, the verdict was overruled as the ball had touched the ground before going into Samant’s gloves.
That apart, Gujarat skipper didn’t have any hiccups en route to racing towards his 13th first class century. The former India stumper was well aware of the fact that if he doesn’t commit any mistake, he can bat as long as he wants as Rohit did on the first two days. The southpaw took 178 balls and 223 minutes to reach the three-figure mark. In all he played out 246 deliveries in 327 minutes aided by 15 hits to the fence and a six.
Like Gujarat, Mumbai bowlers also resorted to the strategy of straying on the leg side but the ploy didn’t work as the wicket offered very little to the bowlers. Thakkar also played an error-free innings. He took 174 balls and 192 minutes to hit his sixth first-class ton.
Mumbai, however, are almost through to the last eight, barring a loss (read miracle) against Gujarat, which looks very much unlikely with only a day left. But if the hosts can’t manage a first innings lead, they will finish on 17 points. In all likelihood, they will occupy the third place in the group and may have to face Uttar Pradesh in Kanpur.
Scorecard:
Mumbai 1st innings: 648/6 decl
Gujarat 1st innings (Overnight: 120/1)
RP Chauhan c Samant b Kulkarni 53; J Desai c Jaffer b Kulkarni 29; N Patel run out (Waghela) 57; P Patel batting 148; B Thakker batting 111
Extras: (LB5, W5, NB24) 34
Total: (3 wkts; 119 overs) 432
Fall of wkts: 1-45, 2-143, 3-168
Bowling: Agarkar 20-5-84-0, Kulkarni 21-5-54-2, Powar 29-4-117-0, Salvi 11-3-28-0, Abdulla 30-4-111-0, Sharma 6-0-27-0, Rahane 2-1-6-0.
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