Hosts thump Tripura by 10 wickets at Wankhede to top Pool C and storm into Ranji Trophy quarter-finals
Domestic giants Mumbai roared into the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy yesterday with a thumping 10-wicket win over Tripura on Day Three of their Group C encounter at the Wankhede Stadium yesterday. Prithvi Shaw's unbeaten 50 in 26 balls (8x4) and Jay Bista's 13 not out saw the hosts chase the required 63 runs in just 6.2 overs in the second innings, earning a bonus point in the bargain and topping Group C with 21 points. Experienced pacer Dhawal Kulkarni (4-69) and young left-arm spinner Karsh Kothari's (4-72) were the wreckers-in-chief as Tripura were bowled out for 288 in the second innings yesterday, following Mumbai's first innings declaration of 421 in the previous day. The visitors had scored 195 in the first essay.
Mumbai's left-arm spinner Karsh Kothari during his 4-72 spell
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However, Tripura's Smit Patel (68) and Yashpal Singh (82) put up a valiant 129-run stand for the fourth wicket and had it not been for Mumbai skipper Aditya Tare's smart bowling change, the visitors may have scored bigger. Tare brought on first innings centurion Bista to bowl his part-time stuff deep into the second session and the change worked. Bista had Patel - Tripura's season top-scorer with 526 runs this season - clean bowled in his fifth over. Young left-arm spinner Kothari then tempted the other settled batsman, Singh, with a flighted delivery that drew him out of his crease for stumper Tare to do the rest.
Mumbai players celebrate a Tripura wicket at the Wankhede yesterday
Mumbai skipper Tare said his boys should now brace up for tougher challenges in the knockouts. "We will have to improve. We must pull up our socks. There will be better teams in the quarter-finals onwards. But I believe Mumbai always emerges a strong team in the knockout stages. I'm sure we will be refreshed and the senior players will step up hereon," Tare said after Mumbai's win yesterday. Tare had special praise for spinner Kothari, who first dismissed Gurinder Singh (1), edging one to the lone slip fielder, Suryakumar Yadav off the fifth ball of his over before the teams headed for tea. On resumption, Kothari dismissed Tripura skipper, Manisankar Murasingh (0) caught by Yadav off the very first ball after tea, which was the remaining delivery from his previous over. Kothari was on a hat-trick when he returned to bowl again, but Rajat Dey (30) played a lofted on-drive for four and denied the spinner any glory.
Mumbai openers Prithvi Shaw and Jay Bista after chasing the victory target of 62 in just 6.2 overs . Pics/Suresh Karkera
"He [Kothari] is a good bowler and has been very consistent so far. He's a good all-round package - good fielder, good attitude, good work ethic and very hard working guy. I'm pleased to seem him pick four wickets in the second innings," Tare said.
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