Pune: The 22-yard strip at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium takes centre stage, as both Mumbai and Saurashtra teams had their first look at the wicket ahead of their Ranji Trophy final to be played here from tomorrow. The pitch, as is the case before any crucial game, is the talking point ahead of this domestic title decider. But it’s the recent history of this wicket that makes the scenario more interesting. Following three no-results in the Ranji Trophy here this season, Maharashtra scored an outright win over Karnataka, knocking the latter out of the event in the process, in a relatively low-scoring game.

Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur