12 January,2009 05:44 PM IST | | Agencies
Rohit Sharma cracked an unbeaten ton as Mumbai recovered from a miserable start to reach a decent 297 for six at close on a keenly contested opening day of the Ranji Trophy cricket final against Uttar Pradesh here today.
Sharma led the fightback with a chancy unbeaten 113 and the 207 runs he shared with Abhishek Nayar (99) helped Mumbai survive Bhuvneshwar Kumar's five-wicket haul.
Uttar Pradesh captain Mohammad Kaif's decision to insert Mumbai on a greenish track paid rich dividends with pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar dealing a triple strike, including the prized scalp of Sachin Tendulkar (0), to reduce the Wasim Jaffer-led side to 55 for four inside 20 overs.
Poor fielding soon came to hurt UP as Kaif, otherwise the safest pair of hands, twice dropped Rohit in the slips to allow Mumbai slacken the noose and regain much of the lost ground. Rohit and Ajit Agarkar (21) were in the middle at stumps. Rohit's unbeaten 206-ball knock, including 18 fours, may not count among his best but it came just when the team needed it most.
Nayar looked more solid of the duo and the left-hander hit 13 fours and a six en route to a 190-ball 99 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal near here. Bhuvneshwar, who added two more scalps in the afternoon to his morning tally, finished with a figure of five for 64.
The pace duo of Paveen Kumar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar rose to the occasion.
Specially Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who bowled 12 overs on the trot to pick-up three wickets, got the prized scalp of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar who got out on a duck, his first first-class duck in domestic cricket. He also sent in- Wasim Jaffer and Samant back to the pavillion.
