Chennai: Shams Mulani (87) and Aditya Tare (69, batting) raised a 155-run partnership with fighting half-centuries to help Mumbai finish the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group 'B' match against Tamil Nadu at 284 for six, here on Saturday. Electing to bat after winning the toss, the visitors were in a spot of bother as lanky left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore (3/77) and ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (3/58) struck at regular intervals to leave them five down. Baba Aparajith-led Tamil Nadu as Vijay Shankar was drafted into the India 'A' team for the New Zealand tour and left to join the squad.

Kishore got into the act first and picked up the first three wickets in the opening session. Ashwin was wicket-less till the lunch break but made his presence felt after the break, dismissing debutant Hardik Tamore (21) and Sarfaraz Khan (36). Khan hit two towering sixes off Kishore but miscued a cut off Ashwin to be caught by Aparajith. Earlier, Mumbai got off to a solid start as Jay Bista made a fluent 41 and put on 50 runs for the opening wicket with debutant Bhupen Lalwani (21). Bista looked good for more before Kishore got one to go in between bat and pad to disturb the stumps.