NEW DELHI: All-rounder Shardul Thakur showcased his prowess with a match haul of 10 wickets, complemented by Shivam Dube‘s aggressive century, as Mumbai concluded their group B Ranji Trophy league campaign with a commanding innings and 80-run victory against Assam in just two days at home.
Mumbai, a powerhouse with 41 titles, displayed ruthless dominance throughout the season, securing five wins, four of them with bonus points, to lead Group B with an impressive 37 points. Already qualified for the quarter-finals before their last match, Mumbai treated the final game as a warm-up.
Shardul, who had claimed 6/21 in the first innings, added 4 more wickets in the second innings with figures of 8-1-31-4. Assam was bundled out for 108 in 33 overs, and Mumbai sealed the victory within two days.
Mumbai’s only loss this season came against Uttar Pradesh, and they accumulated three points against Chhattisgarh with a first innings lead.
With 25 points, Andhra is Mumbai’s closest competitor in Group B, with their last league round fixture against Kerala still in progress.
Dube, who completed his second century in four innings on day one, scored 121 off 140 balls in the second innings, including 11 fours and five sixes. Dube has shown excellent form since his return to the state side from national duty, with two fifties and two centuries in six innings.
Shams Mulani’s quickfire 31 off 47 balls in the first innings contributed to Mumbai’s total of 272, giving them a substantial 188-run lead.
In Assam’s second innings, new ball bowler Mohit Avasthi (2/10) made early breakthroughs by removing both openers with single-digit scores. Tushar Deshpande (2/37) and Tanush Kotian (1/5) continued to chip away with wickets, while Shardul Thakur wrapped up the tail with a four-wicket burst.
Andhra eyeing quarter-finals despite Kerala fightback
At Vizianagaram, visitors Kerala put up a strong fightback to post 258/3 in reply to Andhra’s 272 all out. But despite being in the backfoot, Andhra are set to finish second to join Mumbai in the last-eight.
Skipper Sachin Baby was unbeaten on 87, in company of Akshay Chandran (57) at stumps on day two.
Earlier opener Rohan Kunnummal scored 61, while Krishna Prasad got out for 43.
Abhimanyu Easwaran slams double ton to put Bengal on top
Easwaran, a regular for India A, played a spectacular innings, scoring an unbeaten 200 runs to put Bengal in the driver’s seat against Bihar at the Eden Gardens.
Easwaran’s impressive knock, comprising 23 boundaries and lasting 291 balls, propelled Bengal to declare at 411/5, establishing a substantial first-innings lead of 316. At the close of day two, Bihar was 32/1, trailing Bengal by 284 runs.
Despite Easwaran’s stellar performance, Bengal’s chances of qualifying for the quarters were already extinguished, having suffered two losses earlier in the competition.
Nevertheless, this innings marked a significant achievement for Easwaran, who has sometimes faced criticism in crucial matches. It was his third first-class double hundred and his first since his career-best 233 for India A against Sri Lanka A in May 2019.
Easwaran’s double century was not without drama, as he received two reprieves during his innings. First, he was dropped on 152, and later he survived a catch off a no-ball when he was on 185.
Adding a poignant note to the match, Bengal’s captain, Manoj Tiwary, contributed with a score of 30 in what appeared to be his final innings of a two-decade-long career.
The 38-year-old, who has played 147 first-class and 169 List A matches, was trapped lbw by Bihar spinner Ashutosh Aman. Earlier, Tiwary had announced that he would retire after this match, and he is also a junior minister of sports in the Bengal cabinet.
Brief Scores:
In Mumbai: Assam 84 and 108; 33 overs (Sumit Ghadigaonkar 30 not out; Shardul Thakur 4/31, Mohit Avasthi 2/10, Tushar Deshpande 2/37). Mumbai 272; 64.4 overs (Shivam Dube 121 not out; Dibakar Johri 5/74). Mumbai won by an innings and 80 runs. Points: Mumbai 7, Assam 0.
At Vizianagaram: Andhra 272; 96.4 overs (Ricky Bhui 87 not out, Maheep Kumar 81, Karan Shinde 43; Basil Thampi 4/48). Kerala 258/3; 81 overs (Sachin Baby 87, Rohan Kunnummal 61, Akshay Chandran 57, Krishna Prasad 43). Kerala trail by 14 runs.
At Kolkata: Bihar 95 and 32/1; 14 overs. Bengal 411/5 declared (Abhimanyu Easwaran 200 not out, Abhishek Porel 56, Manoj Tiwary 30). Bihar trail by 284 runs.
At Lucknow: Chhattisgarh 414; 145.5 overs (Sanjeet Desai 202, Amandeep Khare 114; Saurabh Kumar 5/95). Uttar Pradesh 110/3; 27 overs (Saurabh Kumar 55 batting, Nitish Rana 38 batting). UP trail by 304 runs.
(With PTI inputs)
Mumbai, a powerhouse with 41 titles, displayed ruthless dominance throughout the season, securing five wins, four of them with bonus points, to lead Group B with an impressive 37 points. Already qualified for the quarter-finals before their last match, Mumbai treated the final game as a warm-up.
Shardul, who had claimed 6/21 in the first innings, added 4 more wickets in the second innings with figures of 8-1-31-4. Assam was bundled out for 108 in 33 overs, and Mumbai sealed the victory within two days.
Mumbai’s only loss this season came against Uttar Pradesh, and they accumulated three points against Chhattisgarh with a first innings lead.
With 25 points, Andhra is Mumbai’s closest competitor in Group B, with their last league round fixture against Kerala still in progress.
Dube, who completed his second century in four innings on day one, scored 121 off 140 balls in the second innings, including 11 fours and five sixes. Dube has shown excellent form since his return to the state side from national duty, with two fifties and two centuries in six innings.
Shams Mulani’s quickfire 31 off 47 balls in the first innings contributed to Mumbai’s total of 272, giving them a substantial 188-run lead.
In Assam’s second innings, new ball bowler Mohit Avasthi (2/10) made early breakthroughs by removing both openers with single-digit scores. Tushar Deshpande (2/37) and Tanush Kotian (1/5) continued to chip away with wickets, while Shardul Thakur wrapped up the tail with a four-wicket burst.
Andhra eyeing quarter-finals despite Kerala fightback
At Vizianagaram, visitors Kerala put up a strong fightback to post 258/3 in reply to Andhra’s 272 all out. But despite being in the backfoot, Andhra are set to finish second to join Mumbai in the last-eight.
Skipper Sachin Baby was unbeaten on 87, in company of Akshay Chandran (57) at stumps on day two.
Earlier opener Rohan Kunnummal scored 61, while Krishna Prasad got out for 43.
Abhimanyu Easwaran slams double ton to put Bengal on top
Easwaran, a regular for India A, played a spectacular innings, scoring an unbeaten 200 runs to put Bengal in the driver’s seat against Bihar at the Eden Gardens.
Easwaran’s impressive knock, comprising 23 boundaries and lasting 291 balls, propelled Bengal to declare at 411/5, establishing a substantial first-innings lead of 316. At the close of day two, Bihar was 32/1, trailing Bengal by 284 runs.
Despite Easwaran’s stellar performance, Bengal’s chances of qualifying for the quarters were already extinguished, having suffered two losses earlier in the competition.
Nevertheless, this innings marked a significant achievement for Easwaran, who has sometimes faced criticism in crucial matches. It was his third first-class double hundred and his first since his career-best 233 for India A against Sri Lanka A in May 2019.
Easwaran’s double century was not without drama, as he received two reprieves during his innings. First, he was dropped on 152, and later he survived a catch off a no-ball when he was on 185.
Adding a poignant note to the match, Bengal’s captain, Manoj Tiwary, contributed with a score of 30 in what appeared to be his final innings of a two-decade-long career.
The 38-year-old, who has played 147 first-class and 169 List A matches, was trapped lbw by Bihar spinner Ashutosh Aman. Earlier, Tiwary had announced that he would retire after this match, and he is also a junior minister of sports in the Bengal cabinet.
Brief Scores:
In Mumbai: Assam 84 and 108; 33 overs (Sumit Ghadigaonkar 30 not out; Shardul Thakur 4/31, Mohit Avasthi 2/10, Tushar Deshpande 2/37). Mumbai 272; 64.4 overs (Shivam Dube 121 not out; Dibakar Johri 5/74). Mumbai won by an innings and 80 runs. Points: Mumbai 7, Assam 0.
At Vizianagaram: Andhra 272; 96.4 overs (Ricky Bhui 87 not out, Maheep Kumar 81, Karan Shinde 43; Basil Thampi 4/48). Kerala 258/3; 81 overs (Sachin Baby 87, Rohan Kunnummal 61, Akshay Chandran 57, Krishna Prasad 43). Kerala trail by 14 runs.
At Kolkata: Bihar 95 and 32/1; 14 overs. Bengal 411/5 declared (Abhimanyu Easwaran 200 not out, Abhishek Porel 56, Manoj Tiwary 30). Bihar trail by 284 runs.
At Lucknow: Chhattisgarh 414; 145.5 overs (Sanjeet Desai 202, Amandeep Khare 114; Saurabh Kumar 5/95). Uttar Pradesh 110/3; 27 overs (Saurabh Kumar 55 batting, Nitish Rana 38 batting). UP trail by 304 runs.
(With PTI inputs)
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