Playing only its second-ever knock-out match, Jharkhand was up against a huge first innings score of 416. But for a miracle, it will have to resign itself to the fate of a second quarterfinal finish in four years.
Jharkhand did start quite well as the opening pair of S.P. Gautam and Anand Singh put on 46 runs.
Shardul strikes
But paceman Shardul Thakur, introduced rather late in the 15th over, struck with his second ball forcing Gautam to edge to first slip.
After skipper Abhishek Nayar dismissed Anand, also in his very first over, the spin duo of Iqbal Abdullah and part-timer Akhil Herwadkar took charge.
The two bowled a not-so-spectacular but stifling line and finished with figures of 20-5-39-3 and 11-2-26-3 respectively.
Herwadkar’s was in particular a crucial intervention, for the caught and bowled effort of key batsman Saurabh Tiwary sucked out whatever hope Jharkhand would have had of upstaging the total.
Early in the morning, Abhishek flirted with danger — an uppish drive towards cover and an attempted glide past the second slip just about evading the fielders. He was even dropped on 50 by Jaskaran Singh at point.
But he was way more positive than on the first day; a clip off his legs and a fierce cut for boundaries and a loft over midwicket for six were evidence of the same.
In the first hour, Mumbai added 51 runs for the loss of just one wicket.
What was the slightest of advantages at the end of day one had swelled into something substantial. By the time Mumbai was bowled out, another 62 runs were added at more than four an over.
Abdullah made an almost run-a-ball 33 to complement Abhishek (74, 167b, 7x4, 1x6). It was enough for the scoreboard pressure to take effect and it did so tellingly.
The scores:
Mumbai — 1st innings: Akhil Herwadkar st Jaggi b Nadeem 107, Jay Bista b Jaskaran 9, Shreyas Iyer lbw b Nadeem 45, Suryakumar Yadav c Jaggi b Jaskaran 75, Siddhesh Lad run out 16, Abhishek Nayar c Nadeem b Quadri 74, Dhawal Kulkarni c Jaggi b Kaushal 11, Sufiyan Shaikh c Virat b Nadeem 23, Iqbal Abdullah c Deobrat b Nadeem 33, Shardul Thakur lbw b Nadeem 2, Vishal Dabholkar (not out) 0; Extras (b-16, lb-2, w-1, nb-2): 21; Total (in 114.4 overs): 416.
Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-91, 3-227, 4-254, 5-265, 6-303, 7-350, 8-402, 9-416.
Jharkhand bowling: Rahul Shukla 23-6-61-0, Jaskaran Singh 16-3-73-2, Anand Singh 1-0-10-0, Shahbaz Nadeem 39-6-140-5, Kaushal Singh 19-8-43-1, Samar Quadri 16.4-2-71-1.
Jharkhand — 1st innings: S.P. Gautam c Suryakumar b Shardul 18, Anand Singh c Herwadkar b Abhishek 39, Virat Singh lbw b Herwadkar 9, Saurabh Tiwary c & b Herwadkar 17, Ishank Jaggi c Suryakumar b Abdullah 14, Kumar Deobrat st Sufiyan b Abdullah 15, Kaushal Singh (batting) 22, Rahul Shukla c Sufiyan b Abdullah 8, Shahbaz Nadeem lbw b Herwadkar 1, Jaskaran Singh (batting) 2; Extras (b-1, lb-3, w-1): 5; Total (for eight wkts. in 63 overs): 150.
Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-64, 3-83, 4-86, 5-109, 6-120, 7-141, 8-148.
