Ranji Trophy: Mumbai thrash Baroda by 309 runs

Domestic giants Mumbai began their 2019-2020 Ranji Trophy season on a winning note, as they thrashed Baroda by 309 runs in their Elite Group B game on Thursday. Baroda set a stiff target of 533 runs and needed another 460 runs to win. The hosts were teetering at 74/3 when play resumed and needed to play out the whole day to settle for a draw and avoid an outright defeat. But Shams Mulani, who had shone with the bat in the first essay and also picked a fifer, ran through the Baroda line up, as the side was bundled out for 224.

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Mulani ended with the figures of 4-72, as the 41-time domestic champions went for the kill. The left-arm spinner was ably supported by off-spinner Shashank Attarde (2-61) and medium-pacer Akash Parkar (2-16), as Mumbai fetched six points from the lung-opener. For the hosts, Deepak Hooda (61; 8x4 and 1x6) and two-down Abimanyu Rajput (53; 7x4) tried to delay the inevitable by playing defiant knocks. The duo conjured an 81-run stand for the fourth wicket and frustrated the Mumbai bowlers.

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However, Parkar broke the stand by trapping Rajput in front of the wicket. Mumbai then pegged back Baroda by removing skipper Krunal Pandya (11), experienced all-rounder Yusuf Pathan (14) and Bhargav Bhatt (0) in quick succession to leave them teetering at 7-197. After offie Attarde removed Hooda, it was all over for Baroda and they were eventually bundled out for 224. Mumbai had made 431 and 409/4 declared in their two innings and folded up Baroda for 307 in their first essay. Pint-sized opener Prithvi Shaw had slammed a quickfire 202 in the second innings and continued his purple patch. The domestic giants have a lot of positives from the game and would be raring to go in the next round.

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Brief Scores

Mumbai 431 and 409/4 Declared versus Baroda 307 and 224 (Deepak Hooda 61, Abhimanyu Singh Rajput 53; Shams Mulani 4-72). Mumbai won by 309 runs.

At Meerut: Railways 253 and 270 versus Uttar Pradesh 175 and 62/2 (Almas Shaukat 33, Aryan Juyal 13; T Pradeep 1-15). Match drawn.  

At Dindigul: Karnataka 336 and 151 (Devdutt Padikkal 39, Sharath Belur 28; R Ashwin 4-46, K Vignesh 3-31) versus Tamil Nadu 307 and 154 (Abhinav Mukund 42, Murugan Ashwin 23 not out, Krishnappa Gowtham 8-60). Karnataka won by 26 runs.

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