Over bold: Sai Kishore goes for an expansive drive off Deshpande solely to lose his center stump.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
Once is a mistake, twice is a sample.
The sample of Mumbai pacers making Tamil Nadu specialist batters seem unusual on the first morning continued for the second successive season.
Riding on an all-round effort by Mumbai’s bowling pack, the host seized control of the Ranji Trophy semifinal on day one at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy floor right here on Saturday.
Though Mumbai misplaced its openers to finish the day at 45 for 2, Tamil Nadu had little purpose to smile. After all, its batters had let the staff all the way down to being bowled out for 146 after opting to bat.
The final time these two sides met at the Brabourne Stadium in 2022-23, Mumbai had shot TN down for a paltry 144.
Hence, it was a shock to see R. Sai Kishore opting to bat on a greenish and moist floor.
The Mumbai pacers bowled precisely to pressure the TN batters into errors. B. Sai Sudharsan paid the worth for attempting to play Shardul Thakur throughout the line in the opening over of the match.
Mohit Avasthi then obtained one to rise greater than N. Jagadeesan anticipated to get Musheer Khan at forward-short leg into play.
Sai Kishore walked in to see off the new ball. But, Tushar Deshpande broke the again of TN’s line-up with a gap burst of 5-2-15-3.
Pradosh Ranjan Paul (uppish drive sharply caught on return), Sai Kishore (missed an audacious drive to lose the middle-stump) and B. Indrajith (top-edged to Kotian at brief mid-wicket) fell to Deshpande as Tamil Nadu was left reeling at 42 for 5.
Digging deep
The subsequent 87 minutes noticed Vijay Shankar and Washington Sundar digging deep till Shardul got here again for an additional burst to account for Vijay Shankar, caught at second slip.
As the spinners got here into play, Washington lived a charmed life earlier than being the final man dismissed.
When Mumbai batted, Kuldeep Sen drew an edge off Prithvi Shaw in his first over. Sai Kishore prolonged his season’s tally to 48 wickets by trapping Bhupen Lalwani in entrance. Musheer Khan and night-watcher Mohit Avasthi then prevented additional injury.
The recreation continues to be open and can stay so provided that the sample of pacers choosing wickets in the first session continues on Sunday!
The scores:
Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: B. Sai Sudharsan lbw b Shardul 0, N. Jagadeesan c Musheer b Avasthi 4, Pradosh Ranjan Pail c & b Deshpande 8, R. Sai Kishore b Deshpande 1, B. Indrajith c Kotian b Deshpande 11, Vijay Shankar c Mulani b Shardul 44, Washington Sundar lbw b Kotian 43, M. Mohammed c Rahane b Musheer 17, S. Ajith Ram c Rahane b Kotian 15, Sandeep Warrier lbw b Musheer 0, Kuldeep Sen (not out) 0; Extras (lb-1, nb-2): 3; Total (in 64.1 overs): 146.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-10, 3-12, 4-17, 5-42, 6-90, 7-114, 8-139, 9-146.
Mumbai bowling: Shardul 14-4-48-2, Avasthi 12-4-23-1, Deshpande 12-7-24-3, Mulani 14-4-22-0, Musheer 7-2-18-2, Kotian 5.1-0-10-2.
Mumbai — 1st innings: Prithvi Shaw c Indrajith b Kuldeep Sen 5, Bhupen Lalwani lbw b Sai Kishore 15, Musheer Khan (batting) 24, Mohit Avasthi (batting) 1; Total (for 2 wkts. in 17 overs): 45.
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-40.
Tamil Nadu bowling: Warrier 4-0-11-0, Sen 6-0-25-1, Mohammed 3-1-5-0, Sai Kishore 3-1-3-1, Ajith Ram 1-0-1-0.
