Musheer Khan's record-breaking hundred and Shreyas Iyer's fine innings of 95 helped Mumbai take giant strides towards clinching their 42nd Ranji Trophy crown as they outbatted Vidarbha on day three of the final at the Wankhede Stadium, here on Tuesday.
The hosts' were bowled out for 418 in 130.2 overs eventually as they left Vidarbha with a herculean target of 538, of which 10 runs were shaved off in their chase without losing a wicket at stumps on day three.
The day belonged to the 19-year-old Musheer Khan, who became the youngest Mumbai batsman to score a hundred in a Ranji Trophy final breaking the record of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who held the previous record set in the 1994/95 final against Punjab where he scored twin centuries.
The Kurla lad's epic innings of 136 came off 326 balls comprising 10 boundaries.
Musheer's workmanlike approach could be gauged from the time consumed to construct probably the most crucial knock of his young career: 474 minutes.
On a day when some all-time greats of Mumbai cricket were in attendance to watch the Ranji Trophy final including the iconic Tendulkar, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, Musheer produced a great show of temperament, skill and patience.
Musheer and skipper Ajinkya Rahane had added just 23 runs to their partnership and Mumbai's overnight score of 141 when the latter was plucked by Harsh Dubey off a peach of a delivery for 73.
There was a great deal of focus on Shreyas Iyer as he came out to bat with a big innings overdue and the India star did not disappoint on the day.
Iyer's fifty came off just 62 balls and he was going at a very healthy strike rate of almost 85.
With 10 fours and three sixes, Iyer looked well set for a statement-making hundred in a Ranji Trophy final but his urge to bring up the hundred with a glory shot proved to be his undoing.
He mistimed Aditya Thakare's delivery outside off stump to long off where Aman Mokhade made no mistake in lapping up the prized wicket.
Thereafter, Musheer kept the scoreboard ticking as wickets kept tumbling at the other end. Hardik Tamore was castled for 5 by Yash Thakur while the flamboyant Shardul Thakur was bowled for a golden duck.
Musheer's monumental innings was ended by a wily Dubey who got him out leg before for 136 in the 110th over.
Shams Mulani's half-century consolidated Mumbai's position almost impregnable as the hosts veered towards a 500 plus target.
It was a day Vidarbha would like to forget except for Harsh Dubey's fiffer, his first-ever in First Class cricket, that helped them bowl out Mumbai.
Dubey finished with figures of 5/144 that gave a glimpse of how the day panned for his team.
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