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Mumbai ease into knockout round
Mumbai bowlers had something to cheer about before the start of Ranji Trophy knock out phase as a good show by them allowed the hosts pocket three vital points in their final Super League Group A match against Gujarat here today, reports Abhijeet Kulkarni.
The Cricket Club of India pitch had no demons even on the fourth and final day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match but, unlike the previous day, Mumbai bowled with a lot more purpose and were rewarded for the effort.
The defending champions packed off Gujarat well before lunch with the visitors losing their last five wickets for just 50 runs to give the hosts three points for the first-innings lead and a berth in the quarter-finals.
Having bowled out Gujarat for 502, Mumbai batted out the remaining overs but openers Sahil Kukreja and Sushant Marathe lost out on centuries as both fell trying to reach the landmark early.
Despite their positive knocks, the day belonged to the bowlers as they went for the kill once they tasted blood with the wicket of Gujarat captain Parthiv Patel.
Parthiv added just one to his overnight score before he edged off-spinner Ramesh Powar's first delivery of the day to his counterpart Wasim Jaffer and Aavishkar Salvi then scalped three wickets in three overs to bring down the curtains on the Gujarat innings.
The medium-pacer, who had been out of action for most part of the day on Thursday due to a groin injury, trapped Sunny Patel and Mehul Patel leg before and then induced Ishwar Choudhary to edge one to wicketkeeper Vinayak Samant.
Brief Scores: Mumbai 648 decl. & 180-2 (S Kukreja 84) drew with Gujarat 502.
