Mhambrey, Mane put Mumbai back in the game

Mhambrey, Mane put Mumbai back in the game
KUMAR SHYAM

MUMBAI, MARCH 21: Holders and defending champions, Mumbai wrested back the initiative from Punjab, limiting them to just 383 and amassing 162 runs for the loss of two wickets on the second day of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final match at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. Seamer Paras Mhambrey and left arm spinner Rajesh Pawar struck vital blows to send Punjab packing for the addition of just 84 runs after resuming from their overnight score of 299 for four.

It is amazing how a change in attitude makes for a lot of difference on the game. Mhambrey and Yuvraj Singh are both determined cricketers but it is the attitude that one carries on a given day that becomes the deciding factor. So while Yuvraj (138, 332m, 209b, 15x4, 1x6) proved a point to the National selectors, grafting his way to his maiden century knock in the premier tournament of the domestic circuit, Mhambrey finished the day with a rich haul of 5 for 77. Rajesh Pawar also chipped in with three wickets including the prized scalp of Yuvraj.

The Mumbai batsmen also showed some resoluteness against the disciplined Punjab bowling and attacking fielding. With the fielders diving and sliding to prevent even the singles, opener Vinayak Mane (batting 70) and Jatin Paranjape (68) had to resort to controlled aggression and perfect shot selection to build the solid foundation that they achieved.

Pankaj Dharmani was an exception in the Punjab fielding. He had a really bad day dropping two easy catches. Mane and Paranjape made the most of the luck breaks that they got and added 138 runs for the second wicket. Immediately after opener Wasim Jaffer was judged leg before to Vineet Sharma, Paranjape was given a lifer -- dropped by Dharmani at first slip off the bowling of Sharma. Mumbai was 12 for 1 then.

Paranjape made the opposition pay as he struck three boundaries to set the pace for Mumbai. Sharma was again successful in finding Mane's leading edge from the other end but Dharmani proved the culprit again at first slip. As many as three more catches went just wide of the slips later; two off Reetinder Sodhi in one over itself.

Earlier, Yuvraj kept the scoreboard ticking for Punjab even as wickets kept falling in an heap at the other end. It was a special knock as it was typically out of his character of aggressiveness. What made it even more special was that his 135 was way ahead of his highest score of 20 in the previous five matches.

Scoreboard
Punjab (1st Innings) overnight (299 for 4): Yuvraj Singh c&B R Pawar 135; RS Sodhi c Paranjape b Mhambrey 46; Munish Sharma c Paranjape b Sriram Kannan 2; Sharandeep Singh lbw Mhambrey 4; Sandeep Sanwal c A Rane b Mhambrey 2; Gagandeep Singh (not out) 12; Vineet Sharma c Amol Rane b Rajesh Pawar 0; Extras: (2-b, 9-lb, 19-nb) 30

TOTAL: (all out off 117.2 overs) 383
Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-68, 3-136, 4-236, 5-331, 6-334, 7-345, 8-351, 9-383.
Bowling: Paras Mhambrey 25-4-77-5, Santosh Saxena 17-1-65-0, Sriram Kannan 21-2-58-1, Ramesh Powar 25-7-57-1, Rajesh Pawar 29.2-5-115-3
Mumbai (1st Innings): Vinayak Mane batting 70; Wasim Jaffer lbw Vineet Sharma 9; Jatin Paranjape lbw RS Sodhi 68; Sriram Kannan (batting) 5;Extras: (1-b, 3-lb, 6-nb) 10
TOTAL: (for 2 wkts off 62 overs) 162
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-150.
Bowling: Gagandeep Singh 14-3-40-0, Vineet Sharma 11-3-27-1, Sharandeep Singh 18-7-31-0, Reetinder S Sodhi 11-1-38-1, Sandeep Sanwal 8-2-22-0.