A typically gritty performance from a team used to winning crucial matches ensured that Mumbai went from a relatively tricky position at the end of the first day to one of strength by the time a truncated second day ended.
Heavy overnight showers meant that play could only begin at 12.30 p.m. Once it did, the going was slow, initially, for the pitch had been under covers and sweated.
In this context, the 113-run sixth-wicket partnership between Hardik Tamore (115) and Shams Mulani (50) proved invaluable. Both batters were solid, and after one ball beat the outside edge of Mulani early on, there were few scares.
Disciplined bowling
Uttar Pradesh’s bowlers were disciplined, the medium-pacers maintaining a fifth-stump line for the best part, hoping the batters would make a mistake.
Mulani was dismissed against the run of play when Karan Sharma brought himself into the attack, perhaps a touch later than expected given his twin successes on the first day, drawing the bat-pad catch to forward short leg.
But the day belonged to Tamore. In the knowledge that there were enough hands in the lower order to keep him company, he batted with application and common sense, playing some crisp drives when the bowlers erred in length and were too full.
Tamore, playing only his fifth Ranji Trophy match, and first as wicketkeeper after Aditya Tare fractured the middle finger of his right hand in the quarterfinals, showed the depth in Mumbai cricket.
Tamore was batting on 98 at tea, and Uttar Pradesh attempted to delay his century by choking the runs. But he unfurled a reverse sweep off Karan and got to his second First Class century, off 172 balls.
Tanush Kotian chipped in with 22 and when Tamore was dismissed as the last man, Mumbai had got to 393.
Uttar Pradesh’s inexperienced batting line-up was put under pressure immediately. Dhawal Kulkarni took the ball away from right-handed batters and Tushar Deshpande shaped it back in.
Both were rewarded. Samarth Singh went for a duck, nicking off to the keeper in the first over. Soon after, UP was four for two when Priyam Garg played away from his body, driving on the up to Deshpande that seamed in and pegged back the middle stump.
UP managed to avoid further damage, going to stumps on 25 for two, trailing by 368 runs.
The scores:
Mumbai — 1st innings: Prithvi Shaw c Garg b Dayal 0, Yashasvi Jaiswal c Jurel b Karan 100, Armaan Jaffer lbw b Mavi 10, Suved Parkar c Saurabh b b Dayal 32, Sarfaraz Khan c Jurel b Karan 40, Hardik Tamore c Jurel b Saurabh 115, Shams Mulani c Kaushik b Karan 50, Tanush Kotian c Mavi b Saurabh 22, Dhawal Kulkarni c sub b Saurabh 0, Tushar Deshpande c Jurel b Karan 1, Mohit Avasthi (not out) 0; Extras (b-13, lb-7, nb-2, w-1): 23; Total (in 140.4 overs): 393.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-24, 3-87, 4-170, 5-233, 6-346, 7-386, 8-392, 9-393.
Uttar Pradesh bowling: Dayal 23-6-51-2, Rajpoot 27-4-76-0, Mavi 18-3-52-1, Saurabh 39.4-11-107-3, Prince 16-4-41-0, Karan 17-5-46-4.
Uttar Pradesh — 1st innings: Madhav Kaushik (batting) 11, Samarth Singh c Tamore b Kulkarni 0, Priyam Garg b Deshpande 3, Karan Sharma (batting) 10; Extras (lb-1): 1; Total (for two wkts. in 12 overs): 25.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-4.
Mumbai bowling: Kulkarni 6-0-14-1, Deshpande 5-1-10-1, Mulani 1-1-0-0.
