Blog - Mumbai set 262 after Kotian's five-for; Pujara duck in Saurashtra's collapse

There was rain, there were injuries, there were milestones, there were results and a lot more. Here are Sunday's highlights:

It's raining in Indore and Coimbatore, making it early stumps there.

A torrid day for Saurashtra to start the Ranji campaign. If conceding a first-innings lead of 164 runs wasn't enough, they collapsed to 16 for 5 today with Pujara gone for a duck, ending the day on 35 for 5. They still trail by a good 129 runs and could be staring at an innings defeat. Can the rain save them? There is rain in the forecast tomorrow so they will happily bring their umbrellas and ponchos to the ground.

Mumbai won't be pleased at all with how they allowed Baroda to crawl back into the game twice. Baroda did well to post 290 after being 90 for 5 on the first day. And today they were reeling at 41 for 6 before fighting back yet again. Captain Krunal Pandya led the effort with a fifty that helped them set a target of 262 for Mumbai.

Bengal have powered ahead in Lucknow to end the day 160 runs ahead with all 10 wickets in hand. Their senior bowlers Mukesh Kumar and Shahbaz Ahmed picked up four wickets apiece to wrap up UP for 292 for a slender first-innings lead of 19 before openers Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sudip Chatterjee put on 141.

After the whole day was abandoned in Indore on Saturday, we had lots of action today. MP batted and batted on the back of captain Shubham Sharma's 143 not out. He was battling cramps, had retired hurt, returned to bat and then played with a groin injury before bad light shortened the last session. Only three sessions left in the day, is there any way there will be a result here?

Andhra have a steeper target to chase, of 318 against Vidarbha, with Hanuma Vihari already back in the hut. Vidarbha earlier scored a healthy 366 on the back of a century from opener Atharva Taide (118).

Delhi were 299 for 8 and 324 for 9 in reply to Chhattisgarh's score of 343. This was a proper tussle for the first-innings lead and it was Delhi who edged ahead, thanks to an unbeaten century from Jonty Sidhu. He scored 103* after coming in at 202 for 5 and got crucial runs with Navdeep Saini and Simarjeet Singh. If this ends as a draw tomorrow, Delhi will be awarded three points and Chhattisgarh just one.

Rahane was pretty much caught between the thighs of silly point in the first innings. And now they suffer another unusual dismissal as wicketkeeper-batter Hardik Tamore is kind of stumped by leg slip, but given run out officially. He missed his expansive sweep, the ball went of the Baroda keeper and lay on the ground before Shivalik Sharma at leg slip had the presence of mind to swoop in on it in a flash and take the bails off because he saw Tamore was still in his sweeping position with his back toe juuusssttt outside the crease. Referred to the third umpire and he's given out! Mumbai 33 for 2 in pursuit of 262.

Prithvi Shaw wasn't named among the 60 players for the Duleep Trophy at the start of the season. And now, he hasn't done himself any favours by falling for 12 in the second innings when Mumbai desperately need runs in a chase of 262. He was bowled for 7 by Krunal Pandya in the first innings and now he's caught at leg slip. Mumbai 25 for 1, need another 237 with nine wickets in hand.

Mayank Markande recently featured in just the one game in the Duleep Trophy and managed only 1 for 59 for India C. Back in the Punjab whites, he has helped his team take a slender lead of 15 runs against Kerala, bowling them out for 179. Just over one day left in the game, and if this ends in a draw, that lead will give Punjab three points and Kerala just one. Markande's last five-for was way back in December 2019, against Hyderabad.

A five-for to Tanush Kotian's name following his four wickets in the first and Baroda have been bowled out for 185. Mumbai will be wondering in this short innings break if they could have wrapped up Baroda sooner after having them at 41 for 6. In the first innings too, Baroda were reeling at 90 for 5 but they played a wicketless second session on Thursday and went on to post 290. Around an hour left today and three sessions tomorrow. Mumbai's number is 262.

It's a turning track with good bounce and there was overnight rain too which added a bit of zip to the surface. It ain't going to be easy for Mumbai.

Just one session to go for the day and here are the day's highlights so far:

We're back to talk about the Australia tour starting next month. Abhimanyu Easwaran and B Sai Sudharsan are said to be in the race for the reserve opener for the tour and they'd both want to score heavily in the next few weeks. Easwaran had missed out in the first innings and now he has registered a half-century against UP to continue his purple patch from the Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup. Look at his recent scores: 191, 116, 19, 157*, 13 and 4. He had also ended the last Ranji season with an unbeaten double-century against Bihar. All eyes on Sai Sudharsan now, but he may not even get to bat in the second innings because Saurashtra are reeling at 26 for 5! Sai Sudharsan did score 82 in the first innings and will be ruing that run out that stopped him from going for a big score.

Krunal Pandya also fell soon after his fifty, like Saransh Jain. He played a fighting knock after Baroda collapsed to 41 for 6. He started peppering the boundaries as more wickets started to fall and eventually fell lbw to Mumbai debutant and offspinner Himanshu Singh.

Saransh Jain was playing second-fiddle to MP captain Shubham Sharma against Karnataka in Indore. And soon after he brings up his half-century, Saransh goes for a big shot but miscues and skies one for the keeper.

Who's Saransh Jain, you ask? Saransh Jain, yaar! Took six wickets for Rest of India against Mumbai in the Irani Cup recently. Hang on, read all about him and how he made it to this level. You can also read the interview in Hindi here.

It's a day of collapses and Saurashtra are the latest to join the camp. Soon after Tamil Nadu took a lead of 164 in the first innings, left-arm quick Gurjapneet Singh has reduced the visitors to 14 for 4 in Coimbatore on first-class debut. And that includes the prize wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara!

Gurjanpeet had recently turned out for Siechem Madurai Panthers in the TNPL, taking seven wickets from as many games at an economy rate of 7.38.

Could it be an innings win for Tamil Nadu, that too against a side like Saurashtra? They're six wickets away from those seven points.

The half-century seventh-wicket stand between captain Krunal Pandya and Atit Sheth was frustrating Mumbai after Baroda had been reduced to 41 for 6 before lunch. Baroda had already taken a first-innings lead of 76 and every additional run was pinching Mumbai. They finally get some respite when offspinner Tanush Kotian comes from around the wicket and traps Sheth lbw for a patient 26.

Baroda are now 103 for 7, leading by a healthy 179.

He is the MP captain, he is battling a groin injury, he had retired hurt yesterday and resumed batting today after Venkatesh Iyer fell, and he is leading MP to a solid position with allrounder Saransh Jain. Shubham Sharma is playing his first competitive game since March, when the last Ranji season ended and this is his ninth century in the format. He couldn't get to the three-figure mark last season despite crossing 50 five times, and he has started this season with a bang. He has driven on either side of the wicket, he has used his feet nicely against the spinners, and soon after the hundred he smashes a six over long-on off Shreyas Gopal. He's oozing with confidence.

That's not my lunch, I just had a big bowl of idli + sambar. Meanwhile loads of wickets have fallen in the morning session today, extended in some of the games.

From 198 for 3, UP have slipped and stuttered to 292 all out to hand Bengal a slender lead of 19 runs. Once UP captain Aryan Juyal fell for 92, only Siddarth Yadav (73) was able to score some runs as only one other batter reached double-figures today for them.

Four wickets each for Mukesh Kumar and Shahbaz Ahmed who staged this fightback for Bengal.

Maharashtra have started positively in their massive task of replying to J&K's score of 519 after Shubham Khajuria's double-century yesterday (the first double for J&K in 22 years). Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has come out at No. 4 at a tricky score of 29 for 2 and both batters out there - Gaikwad and Siddhesh Veer - have scored half-centuries. Gaikwad's came off 74 balls with the help of eight fours while Veer took 116 balls for his milestone.

Hyderabad were 222 for 7 overnight in reply to Gujarat's 343 and Gujarat ended any hopes Hyderabad had of taking a lead. They wrapped up Hyderabad for 248 to take a handy lead of 96 runs in Secunderabad. Three wickets for Arzan Nagwaswalla, who was once close to the India set-up. Gujarat have also lost their opener Priyank Panchal as their lead is getting close to 150.

The Karnataka quicks have had to step up because Prasidh Krishna is not on the field. And have a look at these morning spells: Vijaykumar Vyshak bowled a spell of 10-2-26-1 non-stop while V Koushik took it one step further and bowled 11-3-20-1 from the other end as the duo bowled together for nearly two hours. Their hard work has paid off, they have not allowed MP to score freely - although they just went past 300. The fitness of India's bench strength looks promising.

Baroda are 41 for 6. Yep, you read that right.

Mumbai wouldn't have been pleased about conceding a lead of 76 runs yesterday on a pitch where runs are hard to come by because of overcast conditions, turn and bounce. But how about this comeback? They have taken 6 for 25 today. Shardul Thakur started the fall of wickets before Tanush Kotian was all over Baroda with three quick wickets with his zip against left-hand batters and a beautiful offbreak to remove Mitesh Patel.

Baroda lead by 118 runs. Captain Krunal Pandya is out there.

MP's Harpreet Singh was on 75 overnight, he got a second life on 84 when he was dropped on Devdutt Padikkal (had also been dropped by him on 42 yesterday), and he must have been kicked about crossing 5k and reaching the 90s. But fast bowler V Koushik bowled such a beautiful delivery from around the wicket to beat the outside edge and smash it into top of off. Harpreet goes for 91, MP are 266 for 6 and Saransh Jain joins captain Shubham Sharma, who has crossed 50 after resuming today. He had retired hurt yesterday and came out to bat once Venkatesh Iyer fell for 26.

There are wickets in Coimbatore as well. Tamil Nadu were looking so solid - on 278 for 3 overnight - and they have been reduced to 301 for 8! Pradosh Ranjan Paul added just four to his overnight 45, Shahrukh Khan gone for 8, and the man behind most of the damage is Jaydev Unadkat! He had already dismissed Jagadeesan and Indrajith yesterday and today he has added four more to currently have figures of 6 for 60.

At 304 for 8, TN will at least be pleased that their lead has crossed 100.

What more do you want after a run fest last night?

The latest FoW have come from Lucknow, where UP captain Aryan Juyal was closing in on his century after resuming on 90 overnight but he has been trapped lbw by fast bowler Mukesh Kumar for 92. And in his next over, Mukesh has trapped Akshdeep Nath lbw for a duck! Saurabh Kumar has joined Siddarth Yadav, the other overnight batter. And just as I wrote that, Mukesh has rattled Saurabh's stumps as well! Around the wicket, inside edge off the chop and disturbs off and middle. Mukesh has 3 for 38 now.

Update: UP slip from 198 for 3 to 215 for 6, still behind Bengal's 311 by 96 runs. This is a proper fightback from Bengal through their fast bowler, that too with the old ball. The commentator also says Prasidh Krishna is not at the ground yet, we'll try to find out why.

They were 180 for 9 overnight with Mayank Markande and Siddarth Kaul in a decent partnership of 37 that was frustrating Kerala. It took just six overs for Kerala to remove Kaul, and it's the experienced Jalaj Saxena who had him caught behind off Mohammed Azharuddeen for 19 while Markande stays unbeaten on 37.

Kerala have a strong batting line-up to come: Rohan Kunnummal, B Aparajith, Azharuddeen, captain Sachin Baby, Aditya Sarwate (who has moved from Vidarbha), Vishnu Vinod

He was out with injury for months, he fell sick during the Irani Cup clash against Rest of India, and here he is, putting a lot of effort with the new ball against Baroda. He shapes one away from JK Singh, who pokes needlessly and the keeper Hardik Tamore takes a flying catch to his right to pouch it with both hands.

In the next over, Tanush Kotian - Player of the Match in the Irani Cup clash - goes from around the wicket and traps left-hand batter Shashwat Rawat for a duck on the back foot in front of leg with a fairly flat delivery! The funny part is, their nightwatcher Raj Limbani is still batting. Update: Oh dear, Baroda lose another! Kotian has trapped Limbani lbw as well in the same over, but this one on the front foot and this looked a lot more convincing. Kotian has two wickets in three balls!

There was overnight rain in Vadodara, it's still fairly overcast there with the sun trying to elbow the clouds out. So there's zip in this pitch with good bounce.

Baroda are 18 for 3, lead by 94 runs. Mumbai are fighting back!

The most disappointing thing about Saturday was that not even one ball was bowled in Indore because of a wet outfield, for the MP vs Karnataka game. There was sunshine, there was sawdust, there were table fans used but today play has begun. Not just that, Vijaykumar Vyshak has struck in the second over of the day to remove Venkatesh Iyer for 26 with the second new ball by having him caught at gully. These are the session timings for today:

1st session: 9.30am - 12pm
2nd session: 12.40pm to 3.10pm
3rd session: 3.30pm to 5pm