Mumbai showcased a dominant batting performance on the third day of their Group B Ranji Trophy match in Thumba against Kerala. Openers Jay Bista and Bhupen Lalwani led the charge with impressive half-centuries, propelling Mumbai to a commanding position.
After securing a narrow first innings lead of seven runs, Mumbai went on to post a formidable total of 319 in their second innings. This set Kerala a challenging target of 327 runs. At the close of day three, Kerala stood at 24 for no loss, facing the daunting task of exhibiting exceptional batting prowess to salvage a draw or secure an unlikely victory.
The Mumbai team, positioned on the verge of clinching their third successive outright win of the season, resumed their innings with Lalwani (88) and Bista (73) continuing their overnight partnership, both reaching their respective fifties. MD Nidheesh (2/59) managed to break the opening stand of 148, but Lalwani then formed a mini partnership with veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane.
Despite Rahane's patient and cautious approach, he could only muster 16 runs from 65 balls before falling to Jalaj Saxena (4/80). The Kerala bowlers, despite their efforts, found it challenging to break Mumbai's resilience. Shreyas Gopal claimed four wickets, but contributions from Prasad Pawar (35), Shams Mulani (30), and No. 9 Mohit Avasthi (32) propelled Mumbai to a formidable total of 319.
Brief scores
Mumbai 251 & 319 (Bhupen Lalwani 88, Jay Bista 73; Jalaj Saxena 4/80, Shreyas Gopal 4/82) vs Kerala 244 and 24 for no loss in 6 overs.
