Left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla cracks third half-century of the season to take Mumbai to 500; Delhi 85/3.
Iqbal Abdulla is modest. He says he’s a bowler who can bat a bit. On Monday, the little man proved he is not just a tail-ender. The left-arm batsman’s oft-crackling, oft-sedate 69 (117 balls, 8x4) — third fifty of the season — coupled with overnight centurion Abhishek Nayar’s 156 took defending champions Mumbai to 500 in their first innings of the Ranji Trophy semifinal at the Brabourne Stadium.
In reply, Delhi, who were stuttering at 35 for three at one point, ended the day with 85 on board with opener Shikhar Dhawan (36 — 78 balls, 6x4) and skipper Rajat Bhatia (27 — 35 balls, 4x4) ensuring no further damage.
Pacers Usman Malvi, Ajit Agarkar and Aavishkar Salvi bowled beautifully and were rewarded with a scalp each. With the wicket expected to aid turn on Day 3, off-spinner Ramesh Powar and Abdulla may have crucial roles to play.
Facing a daunting task, Delhi, who batted for the whole of the post-tea session, lost Mayank Tehlan (5) to Malvi in the fourth over. Aditya Jain (11) looked at ease during his 12-ball stint but paid the price for playing across the line. Agarkar’s delivery was dead straight and he got his man leg-before.
The reliable Manhas (5) was unlucky after an inside edge off Salvi disturbed the furniture. It should have been 37 for four but skipper Wasim Jaffer made a mess of a dolly at second slip.
Earlier, resuming at 329 for four, the hosts were awfully slow before Agarkar (63 — 96 balls, 9x4) fell to Ishant Sharma. The all-rounder punched him off the backfoot only to find Manhas at cover in the fifth over of the day.
All this while, Nayar was on 111, his overnight score. The left-hander broke the shackles with a cover drive off pacer Parvinder Awana in the sixth over of the day. Powar fell to 17-year-old Vikas Mishra soon after lunch. His was the first of Mishra’s four scalps in 17 overs — 14 of them bowled on Monday.
Nayar and Abdulla stitched a 74-run stand for the seventh wicket. The former ran out of patience and mistimed a hit to Sharma off Mishra. Nayar’s 156 is his highest first-class score, beating the 152 against Karachi Urban in the Mohammad Nissar Trophy in 2007. Usman Malvi’s patient but entertaining 20 (4x4) and the 40 extras were enough to take Mumbai to 500.
Scorecard
Mumbai 1st Innings (overnight 329/4): A Nayar c Sharma b V Mishra 156, A Agarkar c Manhas b Sharma 63, R Powar b V Mishra, I Abdulla c Sangwan b V Mishra, V Samant b Awana 1, U Malvi c Jain b V Mishra 20, A Salvi not out 0; Extras: (B21, LB6, W4, NB9) 40; Total: (all out; 140.1 overs) 500 (3.56 runs per over); Fall of wickets: 5-336 (Agarkar, 87.4 ov), 6-367 (Powar, 97.2 ov), 7-441 (Nayar, 114.2 ov), 8-445 (Samant, 117.2 ov), 9-495 (Malvi, 136.5 ov).
Delhi 1st innings: M Tehlan c Khanvilkar b Malvi 5, S Dhawan batting 36, A Jain lbw b Agarkar 11, M Manhas b Salvi 5, R Bhatia batting 27; Extras: (NB1) 1; Total: (3 wickets; 26 overs) 85 (3.26 runs per over); Fall of Wickets: 1-13, 2-24, 3-35; Bowling: Agarkar 5-2-14-1, Malvi 7-3-21-1 (NB1), Salvi 6-3-8-1, Nayar 3-0-18-0, Powar 3-0-20-0, Abdulla 2-1-4-0.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}