Musheer Khan became the latest entrant to a club of Mumbai century-makers in Ranji Trophy finals. Here are some other heroes who came up with three-figure shows in summit clashes...
Mumbai’s Musheer Khan, whose century effort was invaluable. Pic/Shadab Khan
Ajinkya Rahane would be the first to admit that he would have liked to have more than just two 50-plus scores in the Ranji season. A hundred in the final would have been the icing on the cake.
Bahutule, who scored a hundred to trouble Punjab in the 1994-95 final along with Sachin Tendulkar. With his leg-spin, Sairaj sent back centurions NS Sidhu and Vikram Rathour in Punjab’s first innings.
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Cricket Club of India, where Mumbai batsmen relished plundering hundreds in Ranji finals till Wankhede became the principal venue.
Desai, better known for his fast bowling, came in as night watchman on the first day of the 1962-63 final against Rajasthan at Jaipur. Ramakant posted his maiden Ranji hundred the following day.
Eknath Solkar, who scored four hundreds in Ranji cricket, led Mumbai in the 1980-81 final in which a massive 265 came from his Mafatlal colleague Ashok Mankad, a wily skipper himself.
Fun. That’s what the centuries gave Mumbai spectators as their heroes won the title year after year from 1958-59 to 1972-73.
Gavaskar. He scored four centuries in Ranji finals and a near hundred -- 96 not out against Karnataka at the Wankhede Stadium in 1974-75, scored with a painful
finger.
Hoshie Amroliwala’s first century in the national championships was scored in adversity. With half the side in the Brabourne dressing room on the first morning on the 1958-59 final against Bengal.
India. That’s the team which Mumbai captain Madhav Mantri got picked for, after his 94 and 152 for Mumbai against CK Nayudu’s Holkar in the 1951-52 final.
Jaffer. Three hundreds in Ranji Trophy finals for a winning cause is only one of the many reasons why Wasim is nothing short of a modern Mumbai great.
Kambli. Vinod (107 not out) was part of the quartet (Dighe 137, Manjrekar 224, Tendulkar 140 being the others) who had three-figure scores in the first innings v Punjab during the 1994-95 final.
Lalchand Rajput was Dilip Vengsarkar’s runner in the 1990-91 Mumbai v Haryana final at Wankhede, where the Lord of Lord’s scored one of his finest domestic hundreds.
Muzumdar. Amol scored runs by the ton for Mumbai. But he’d put his century in the 1996-97 final against Delhi at Gwalior and the one against Tamil Nadu at Chepauk in 2003-04 right up there among the best.
Nadkarni hit up three centuries in a Mumbai cap in the 1962-63, 1964-65 and 1965-66 finals. Super Bapu!
Outplayed. That’s what Mumbai did to a lot of the 41 teams they came up against in Ranji finals.
Parkar. Ramnath’s 108 in the 1970-71 final at CCI played a big part in Mumbai’s win.
Quit. That’s what GS Ramchand did after his century helped Mumbai beat Rajasthan in the 1962-63 final at Jaipur.
Ramchand. India all-rounder Gulabrai loved performing in finals for Mumbai. He scored five consecutive tons (in 1951-52, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62 and 1962-63).
Sardesai. Stalwart Dilip was dismissed by leg-spinner CG Joshi for 99 in the 1965-66 final. The following season’s finale saw him depart for 199 off the same bowler.
Tendulkar. The youngest Mumbai player before 19-year-old Musheer Khan to score a hundred in a Ranji final, Sachin scored four hundreds in finals including two in the 1994-95 finale v Punjab.
Umrigar served Mumbai cricket with distinction as a player, selector and administrator. Polly Kaka’s ton in the 1955-56 final against Bengal was worth its weight in gold – 112 out of 306, a performance which resulted in an eight-wicket win.
Vengsarkar. He would have scored a good amount of final hundreds had he not been on India duty. His 123 v Delhi in the 1983-84 final was another gem for the season after his two Test hundreds against the West Indies.
Wadekar. Super captain Ajit scored three centuries in 11 finals — 255 v Rajasthan in 1961-62, 185 v Rajasthan in 1965-66 and 133 v Bengal in 1968-69.
Xavier’s. College teammates Ashok Mankad and Sunil Gavaskar put the Rajasthan attack to sword in the 1969-70 final. The duo put on 279 for the first wicket, which was more than what their opponents scored in their first innings.
Yatin Rele smashed an unbeaten 162 in Mumbai’s only innings in the 1956-57 final against the Services. The next best score was Naren Tamhane’s 66.
Zeroes. That’s what Mumbai batsmen Madhav Apte and Ramnath Kenny had against their names before they made amends by smashing hundreds in the second innings in Mumbai’s victory over Bengal in the 1958-59 final.
mid-day’s group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance.
He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.
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