Cuttack : Mumbai held a slight edge reducing Madhya Pradesh to 197 for five in their Ranji Trophy cricket semifinal after being bowled out for 371 in their first innings on Sunday.
At stumps on the second day of the match at the DRIEMS Ground, Madhya Pradesh trailed by 174 runs with five wickets remaining. Mumbai were bowled out in 102.5 overs in their first essay after MP chose to bowl on winning the toss on day 1.
Middle-order batsman Naman Ojha stood firm with a solid 79 off 182 balls, as Madhya Pradesh ended the day reasonably well placed after being 78 for four at one stage. Ojha found the fence 11 times during his unbeaten knock. The other contributors for Madhya Pradesh were Rajat Patidar (33) and Harpreet Singh (36), though they would be disappointed to miss out on big scores after settling down.
The start was bad for MP, but three half-century stands for the third, fifth and sixth wicket steadied the ship. For the record, wicketkeeper Ojha was involved in all the partnerships. Ankit Dane (27 off 46) was giving Ojha company when the stumps were drawn.
The 40-time Ranji Trophy champions were overnight 327 for seven with Siddesh Lad and Shardul Thakur at the crease
