Bowlers’ First-Class act

PTI

Mumbai, March 2

Tushar Deshpande and Shardul Thakur starred with the ball to put Mumbai on top following a meek display from Tamil Nadu on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal here today.

We wanted to bowl as the wicket has enough for pacers. We bowled in the right channels, on this pitch it was important to bowl in the right areas. With the shadow staying till late here it helps a lot in the first session. Tushar Deshpande, mumbai pacer

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Our strength is the two spinners who (have) got 40 plus wickets if we had batted tomorrow, things would have been different, they could have come into play on the fifth day. — Vijay Shankar, Tamil Nadu all-rounder

Tamil Nadu skipper B Sai Kishore’s decision to bat first backfired as the visitors were shot out for a mere 146 in the first innings with Deshpande and Thakur making life miserable for the visiting batters at the BKC Ground.

If it was any consolation, Tamil Nadu struck twice with the ball but Mumbai shaved off a significant chunk of first-innings deficit, reaching 45/2 at stumps to trail by 101 runs.

Musheer Khan (24 not out) and nightwatchman Mohit Avasthi (1) were at the crease with Mumbai losing openers Prithvi Shaw (5) and Bhupen Lalwani (15).

Shaw fell early to Kuldeep Sen while Sai Kishore trapped Lalwani for the second wicket, but Mumbai remained in control.

On a track which had movement off the surface as well as turn for spinners, Mumbai proved to be the superior side given their bowlers extracted more support and their batters did not find the going as tough as the visitors.

Tamil Nadu, shell-shocked by a disastrous start to their first semifinal in seven years, could not muster a fightback and folded shortly after tea despite Vijay Shankar (44) and Washington Sundar’s (43) rearguard act.

Fab four for Avesh

Nagpur: Avesh Khan-led Madhya Pradesh’s pace bowling unit hit right lengths on a pitch that offered enough carry to bowl out Vidarbha for a meagre 170 on Day 1 to gain control of their semifinal today.

Avesh (4/49) was the pick of the MP bowlers, while receiving good support from Kulwant Khejroliya (2/38) and Venkatesh Iyer (2/28).

MP reached 47/1 in their first innings at close and trail by 123 runs.

The VCA Stadium deck wore such fine green tinge as MP employed spin for just 2.4 overs in a total of 56.4 overs they bowled

on the day.

Left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya, who dismissed last man Umesh Yadav, did the spinner’s duty for a brief period.

Other spinners in their ranks, including offie Saransh Jain, remained spectators for most part of the proceedings.

Vidarbha’s feeble fight came through Karun Nair, who made 63 off 105 balls.

Vidarbha lost wickets at regular intervals and their biggest partnership was a 36-run stand between Atharva Taide (39 off 63 balls) and Aman Mokhade (13 off 75 balls) for the second wicket.

Brief scores: Tamil Nadu: 146 in 64.1 overs (Shankar 44, Washington 43; Deshpande 3/24, Kotian 2/10, Shardul 2/48) vs Mumbai: 45/2 in 17 overs (Lalwani 15, Musheer 24*; Sai K Kishore 1/3); Vidarbha: 170 all out in 56.4 overs (Karun 63, Taide 39; Avesh 4/49, Khejroliya 2/38, Venkatesh 2/28) vs MP: 47/1 in 20 overs (Mantri 26*, Gawli 10*).

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