Ajinkya Rahane & Co lose first seven wickets for just 113 before Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian rescue Mumbai with stunning fightback as defending champs end Day One at 278-8 v Haryana
Haryana players celebrate after dismissing Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane on Day One at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Saturday. Pic/PTI
Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian, keg cogs in Mumbai’s spin attack, summoned their batting skills to aid a fine rescue act as the defending champions got out of jail at the Eden Gardens on Saturday. Reduced to 25-4 and then 113-7 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Haryana, Mumbai managed to reach 278-8 at stumps, thanks to a brilliant eighth-wicket partnership of 165 between the two.
No. 9 Kotian was unbeaten on 85, while southpaw Mulani missed a century by just nine runs as he fell to veteran off-spinner Jayant Yadav less than three overs before stumps. The 178-ball vigil saw him hit 10 boundaries.
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Mumbai’s Tanush Kotian (right) and Shams Mulani during their 165-run stand. Pic/BCCI
Opting to bat first, the day began disastrously for the 42-time champions. In keeping with its character, the Eden wicket offered early movement and Haryana’s potent pace attack made the most of it.
Anshul Kamboj, who was in the news earlier this season for achieving the rare feat of snaring all 10 wickets in an innings, led the pack and finished with figures of 3-58, while Sumit Kumar bagged two wickets. Anuj Thakral and Ajit Chahal claimed one each as the first seven wickets went to Haryana’s new-ball quartet.
Finding that extra ‘carry’ and bounce as he delivered from the far end, Kamboj provided a sensational start by knocking back young Ayush Mhatre’s middle stump with the first ball of the match. It set the tone for the morning and Haryana’s new-ball attack was soon all over the Mumbai top-order. The first four wickets were all bowled as the ball seamed and kept going through defences. Kamboj’s opening partner Sumit dismissed Mumbai’s other opener. Akash Anand, before Kamboj and Sumit removed No. 3 Siddesh Lad and Suryakumar Yadav. At 25-4 in the eighth over, the defending champions were in deep trouble.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane, summoning patience and poise in his efforts to put the boat back on an even keel, seemed to have found the perfect foil in Shivam Dube and the two added 40 runs for the fifth wicket. But Dube, back after a fine run in the T20 series against England, and having hit four fours and the only six of the day, edged Ajit Chahal for Yashvardhan Dalal to pull off a fine diving catch in the slips.
Kamboj, returning for another spell, induced an edge to dismiss Rahane, and when Shardul Thakur was caught and bowled by Thakral, Mumbai were plunged into a crisis again at 113-7. But Mulani and Kotian joined forces to nullify whatever advantage Haryana had gained in the morning session.
Brief scores
Mumbai 278-8 (S Mulani 91, T Kotian 85*, A Rahane 31; A Kamboj 3-58, S Kumar 2-57) v Haryana
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