Bakri Eid joy has doubled: Iqbal

07 November,2011 10:13 AM IST |   |  Harit N Joshi

Iqbal Abdulla may not have got a desired start (1-79) in the first innings of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group opener against Railways, but he compensated for that in Mumbai's second essay.


Iqbal Abdulla may not have got a desired start (1-79) in the first innings of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group opener against Railways, but he compensated for that in Mumbai's second essay.


Delighted: Mumbai's Iqbal Abdulla. File pic

The slow left-arm spinner grabbed three wickets and gave away only 29 runs in 13 overs to help 39-time champions Mumbai to an emphatic 10-wicket win over Railways at the Karnail Singh Stadium in New Delhi yesterday.

The 21-year-old claimed the wickets of Railways' skipper Sanjay Bangar (27) and Nitin Bille (34) and also broke the crucial 61-run partnership, which was starting to look dangerous.

Mumbai went for the kill once Shivakant Shukla, who showed some resistance with a patient knock of 77, was caught by Prashant Naik off Ramesh Powar. The three-wicket haul has doubled the joy of Bakri Eid, which will be celebrated today. "Definitely, it will be a more joyous Eid for me.

"I am happy with the way I bowled in the second innings. I hope to improve further as the tournament progresses," Iqbal told MiD DAY, minutes before boarding the flight back to Mumbai.

Following on, Railways were shot out for 244, leaving a target of 18 runs for Mumbai, which they reached in 4.2 overs. Mumbai pocketed six points, including a bonus point for a huge win.

Wasim Jaffer's men bowled out Railways for 256 in the first innings after posting a mammoth 483, courtesy Rohit Sharma's 175 and Suryakumar Yadav's 88. Meanwhile, the remaining six Elite Group matches ended in dull draws.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
Sports Bakri Eid Iqbal Abdulla Ranji Trophy Elite Group Railways