The Hindu : Mumbai in driver's seat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 28, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Mumbai in driver's seat

By Sanjay Rajan

— Photo: N. Balaji

Mumbai openers Wasim Jaffer (left) and Vinayak Mane who sent the Tamil Nadu bowlers on a leather-hunt on Saturday.

CHENNAI, MARCH 27. Tamil Nadu's inadequate total ruled out the option of using containment as a method of inducing pressure on Mumbai. A first innings score of 294 was never going to be enough, considering the opposition's strong batting line-up.

The only chance, then, lay in bowling out the visiting side. For which, however, it lacked the resources. And so, at stumps on day two of the five-day Ranji Trophy final at the Chidambaram stadium here on Saturday, defending champion Mumbai was 236 without loss, with Wasim Jaffer and Vinayak Mane notching up centuries.

Earlier, resuming at 269 for nine, Tamil Nadu's last-wicket pair of centurion Dinesh Kaarthick and Shrinivas hung around for half-an-hour before the latter became left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni's sixth scalp.

The host, runner-up last year, had its moments against both openers early. But then, Ramkumar had a bad day fielding at gully. He failed to hold on to a Mane offering, when the batsman was on 15, off medium-pacer Shrinivas. He also grassed Jaffer, when on four, off the other medium-pacer Ganapathy, both when the team's score was on 19. In hindsight, these lapses proved expensive.

Things might have turned out differently, had Ramkumar held those catches. Mane provided another chance, a little while later, when an edge off Ganapathy flew between first slip and 'keeper Kaarthick.

Tamil Nadu's next confident appeal came just after tea, at which point Jaffer and Mane had put on 167, which just goes to show that the day belonged to the Mumbai duo.

It was Jaffer's third century (121, 249b, 19x4) of the season and 11th in the National championship and Mane's (105, 238b, 14x4) third century on the trot, including his Duleep Trophy ton. Their stand is already Mumbai's best against Tamil Nadu for the opening wicket, surpassing the 195 between Sunil Gavaskar and Kiran Asher in 1976-77.

The home team used eight bowlers. The numbers were there, yes, but the quality was thin and lacked variety as also discipline.

You don't bowl at Jaffer's legs, or waist-height thereabouts, unless, you want to get whipped. Serenely.

The former Test opener was at his elegant best. Medium-pacer Suresh should know; he went for three boundaries in an over.

"I've waited a long time for a century in a Ranji final. I missed it narrowly in both innings last year," said Jaffer, playing in his second match after a two-month lay-off due to a shoulder surgery. Mane, who dominated the stand in the early part, said he has been following Gavaskar's advice of playing over by over. "It feels good to have scored centuries in the semifinal as well as the final. We want to keep at it," said Mane.

Mumbai coach Chandrakant Pandit's countenance was that of satisfaction. "The third day is important. Tamil Nadu has nothing to lose and will go all-out. We need to consolidate our position and, if possible, bat the opposition out of the match."

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu had an extended team meeting. It obviously needs new strategies; otherwise it will be left fielding for three painfully long days.

The scores:

Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: S. Suresh c Jaffer b Kulkarni 38, S. Ramesh c Samant b Patel 1, S. Sriram c Jaffer b Kulkarni 51, S. Badrinath c Joglekar b Kulkarni 0, H. Badani c Jaffer b Kulkarni 27, S. Sharath c Jaffer b Bahutule 29, D. Kaarthick (not out) 109, S. Vidyut c Jaffer b Bahutule 6, R. Ramkumar c Mane b Bahutule 5, C. Ganapathy c Joglekar b Kulkarni 1, M.R. Shrinivas lbw b Kulkarni 17; Extras (b-6, lb-3, nb-1) 10. Total (in 97.2 overs) 294.

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-74, 3-74, 4-122, 5-123, 6-207, 7-219, 8-227, 9-238.

Mumbai bowling: Munaf Patel 19-3-62-1, Avishkar Salvi 17-2-58-0, Bhavin Thakkar 3-0-8-0, Nilesh Kulkarni 32.2-5-83-6, Sairaj Bahutule 26-4-74-3.

Mumbai — 1st innings: V. Mane (batting) 105, W. Jaffer (batting) 121; Extras (b-2, lb-1, nb-7) 10. Total (for no loss in 80 overs) 236.

Tamil Nadu bowling: Ganapathy 11-2-49-0, Shrinivas 10-5-33-0, Ramkumar 18-6-41-0, Suresh 7-2-22-0, Vidyut 21-3-66-0, Sriram 7-1-10-0, Badrinath 4-0-10-0, Badani 2-0-2-0.

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