INCISIVE SPELL: Zaheer Khan, who rocked Bengal with a five-wicket haul, celebrates after accounting for Rohan Gavaskar. — Photo: Vivek Bendre

MUMBAI: Zaheer Khan rose to the occasion in his debut game for Mumbai, breaking the back of Bengal's batting with an 11-over spell of quality seam bowling, reaping a five-wicket haul on the second day of the Ranji Trophy final. He sent back Sourav Ganguly and Rohan Gavaskar, apart from opener Arindam Das, young Abhishek Jhunjhunwala and experienced Laxmi Ratan Shukla. The home team, bowled out for 320 in the morning, dismissed the visitor for 143 in just 32.1 overs for a 177-run first innings lead.

Sharma makes amends

Batting for the second time on the same day, Rohit Sharma (57, 85b, 7x4, 1x6) wiped out the unpleasant memory of his first innings run out with an attractive knock to steady Mumbai's batting, 113 for two for an overall lead of 290 runs. Sachin Tendulkar is waiting for his turn to bat, Wasim Jaffer is cruising on 77, determined to wear down the bowling on home turf.

The Wankhede wicket is tough on batsmen short on patience, yet few special players like Bengal's Manoj Tiwary, Mumbai's Sharma and India opener Jaffer and maestro Tendulkar found the bounce and carry to their liking.

Ganguly fails

Sourav Ganguly will be thirsting for another chance to display his staying power at the crease, though by then the pressure on his team will build up over the next three days. Watched by Geoff Boycott and the Indian selectors, he ended up as the most famous name among Zaheer's scalps on day two, edging the first delivery he faced onto the stumps. The Mumbai fielders let out a victory cry, the bowler roared with delight at the blow, which had Bengal reeling at 28 for four. Ajit Agarkar had struck with the third ball of the Bengal innings, forcing Deep Dasgupta to fend as short leg fielder Sharma completed the catch.

Unplayable

Zaheer was unplayable thereafter, keeping wicketkeeper Vinayak Samant busy gobbling up edges off the blades of Arindam, Jhunjhunwala, Gavaskar and Shukla. "Fast bowling is about rhythm. It is happening to me right now, ever since my comeback," said the Indian paceman, pointing to recent stint in England county cricket as vital in the learning process. Mumbai coach Praveen Amre, putting the Mumbai debutant's performance in perspective, drew attention to the fact that two centuries (Tendulkar and Jaffer) had been scored on the same track a day earlier, before the Bengal batsmen started hopping against the left-armer.

Manoj Tiwary (42, 43b, 8x4) blossomed under pressure at the crease as a young batsman of promise and courage, striking the ball cleanly off Zaheer and Agarkar. The mood in the middle was hostile, glares and appeals became frequent as Mumbai, determined to make up for morning's batting follies, went for the jugular.

Mumbai's collapse

Earlier, the host, overnight 281 for five, upset at Sarkar's appeal for a catch against Abhishek Nair upheld, then got a shock when its wicketkeeper Samant called, then sent back Sharma. Dasgupta relayed the ball from the point fielder towards the bowler to do the rest.

Shrama grabbed the second chance before an appreciative audience, Tendulkar among them in the dressing room. This time Sharma played his shots on a wicket considered unplayable when the Mumbai pace battery of Zaheer and Agarkar were at work earlier, displaying his class. The thought of another Jaffer-Tendulkar duet when play resumes would be worrying the Bengal bowlers.

The scores: Mumbai — 1st innings: S. Kukreja c Jhunjhunwala b Bose 0, W. Jaffer c A. Das b Lahiri 112, W. Mota lbw b Bose 8, S. Tendulkar c Shukla b Lahiri 105, Amol Muzumdar lbw b Ganguly 31, R. Sharma (run out) 14, A. Nair c Dasgupta b Sarkar 15, V. Samant c Dasgupta b Bose 0, R. Powar b Sarkar 9, Zaheer c Dasgupta b Bose 9, A. Agarkar (not out) 3; Extras (lb-1, nb-12, w-1) 14; Total (in 98.4 overs) 320.

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-14, 3-201, 4-268, 5-268, 6-298, 7-298, 8-299, 9-314.

Bengal bowling: Bose 29-9-77-4, Sarkar 21.4-5-76-2, Ganguly 16-4-30-1, Dinda 16-5-67-0, Lahiri 16-0-69-2.

Bengal — 1st innings: D. Dasgupta c Sharma b Agarkar 0, A. Das c Samant b Zaheer 7, A. Jhunjhunwala c Samant b Zaheer 2, M. Tiwary lbw b Mota 42, S. Ganguly b Zaheer 0, R. Gavaskar c Samant b Zaheer 21, L. Shukla c Samant b Zaheer 0, S. Lahiri (run out) 22, S. Sarkar c Agarkar b Nair 25, R. Bose c Kukreja b Powar 1, A. Dinda (not out) 22; Extras (nb-1) 1; Total (in 32.1 overs) 143.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-3, 3-28, 4-28, 5-72, 6-72, 7-72, 8-106, 9-108.

Mumbai bowling: Agarkar 10-2-42-1, Zaheer 11-2-40-5, Mota 4-0-21-1, Nair 3-0-18-1, Powar 4.1-0-22-1.

Mumbai — 2nd innings: S. Kukreja c Dasgupta b Bose 5, W. Jaffer (batting) 50, R. Sharma b Dinda 57, W. Mota (batting) 0; Extras (lb-1) 1; Total (for two wkts. in 30 overs) 113.

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-113.

Bengal bowling: Bose 8-2-26-1, Sarkar 2-0-8-0, Dinda 13-3-36-1, Lahiri 4-0-33-0, Ganguly 3-0-9-0.

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