Ranji Trophy: Shardul Thakur, Tanush Kotian lead Mumbai's batting charge vs J&K

Shardul Thakur (left) and Tanush Kotian at the MCA-BKC ground yesterday. Pic/Anurag Ahire

Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) may have been all set to install the party lights as it were in preparation to celebrate a Ranji Trophy win over Mumbai. And, for good reason. They needed only three wickets, with the hosts reeling at 101-7 at the MCA-BKC ground, on Friday. However, two gutsy Mumbai all-rounders - Shardul Thakur and Tanush Kotian - had other ideas. By the end of the day, they were unbeaten on 113 and 58 respectively in a rescue operation that would make even the best firefighters proud. Mumbai ended Day 2 with 274-7 in their second innings for an overall lead of 188 runs.

It was a daunting task when Thakur arrived at the crease with the scoreboard reading 91-6 after skipper Ajinkya Rahane had departed for 16. The biggest challenge was to erase the first innings deficit of 86 runs and lead Mumbai's fightback. Thakur did exactly that, overcoming all odds along with No. 9 batter Kotian.

An ecstatic Shardul Thakur celebrates his century against J&K at the MCA-BKC ground yesterday. Pics/Anurag Ahire

After scoring an attacking 51 in the first innings on Thursday evening, Thakur had told reporters: "I like batting in difficult situations. In easy situations, everyone does well, but how you put up a show in adverse situations matters. I see tough situations as a challenge and always think about how to overcome challenges."
Thakur walked that talk and rescued Mumbai in the second innings as well.

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Thakur attacked. Yet, played a sensible knock full of straight and cover drives, cuts, on and off drives and pull shots.

Tanush Kotian en route his unbeaten 58 yesterday

He smashed 17 fours during his 119-ball stay at the wicket during which he had to take medical assistance on a few occasions for cramps. Thakur and Kotian have put on 173 for the eighth wicket.

Kotian, who scored an unbeaten 120 against Baroda and stitched a 232-run stand with Tushar Deshpande (123) in the 2023-24 Ranji quarter-final at the same ground, once again played a patient knock, giving Thakur the much-needed support. Kotian hit six fours.

Earlier, J&K, who resumed the second day on 174-7, managed to add 32 to their overnight score to lead by 86. Mumbai pacer Mohit Avasthi (5-52) claimed his fifth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.

Rohit in attacking mode

Though Mumbai's top-order approach was different to their first innings, the outcome was almost similar as they lost their top three batters including Test openers Rohit Sharma (28, 2x4, 3x6) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (26, 4x4) by the 16th over. Rohit and Jaiswal played an attacking game. They succeeded to an extent, stitching a 54-run opening stand in 13.4 overs before Rohit mistimed his favourite pull shot off pacer Yudhvir Singh for midwicket fielder Abid Mushtaq to take a spectacular one-handed catch.

Soon, it was 57-3 with one-drop Hardik Tamore (1) losing his furniture to pacer Umar Nazir Mir's (2-76) line and length. Pacer Yudhvir (2-63) ended Jaiswal's 51-ball stay through debutant gully fielder Yawer Hassan.

Dube gets a pair

Mumbai's Test batsman Shreyas Iyer (17) was lucky to survive on eight when umpire S Ravi turned down a loud caught behind appeal off Mir. India all-rounder Shivam Dube, who faced only seven balls in the game, got a pair.

"Our dressing room discussion was about tackling the situation as we had collapsed in the first innings as well. So our mindset was about working out ways to make a comeback [in the game]," Avasthi said to mid-day (during the post-day media briefing) when asked about the discussions in the dressing room.

Brief scores
Mumbai 120 & 274-7 (S Thakur 113', T Kotian 58', R Sharma 28; A Nabi 3-69, Y Singh 2-63, U Mir 2-76) v J&K 206 (S Khajuria 53; M Avasthi 5-52, S Thakur 2-39, S Mulani 2-61)