Once is a mistake, twice is a pattern.
The pattern of Mumbai pacers making Tamil Nadu specialist batters appear ordinary 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 ground here on Saturday.
Though Mumbai lost its openers to end the day at 45 for two, Tamil Nadu had little reason to smile. After all, its batters had let the team down to being bowled out for 146 after opting to bat.
The last 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 surprise to see R. Sai Kishore opting to bat on a greenish and moist surface.
The Mumbai pacers bowled accurately to force the TN batters into errors. B. Sai Sudharsan paid the price for trying to play Shardul Thakur across the line in the opening over of the match.
Mohit Avasthi then got one to rise more than N. Jagadeesan expected 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 back of TN’s line-up with an opening 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 short mid-wicket) fell to Deshpande as Tamil Nadu was left reeling at 42 for five.
Digging deep
The next 87 minutes saw Vijay Shankar and Washington Sundar digging deep until Shardul came back for another burst to account for Vijay Shankar, caught at second slip.
As the spinners came into play, Washington lived a charmed life before being the last man dismissed.
When Mumbai batted, Kuldeep Sen drew an edge off Prithvi Shaw in his first over. Sai Kishore extended his season’s tally to 48 wickets by trapping Bhupen Lalwani in front. Musheer Khan and night-watcher Mohit Avasthi then avoided further damage.
The game is still open and will remain so only if the pattern of pacers picking 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 two 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.
