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PlayersRanji Trophy: Mumbai break Railways spirit in 45 minutes of late drama
Mumbai’s fourth successive win of the season against Railways was the most dramatic, a Sarfaraz Khan catch being the turning point
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Railways opener Eashaan Goyal and all-rounder Zubair Ali had passed their respective hundreds. On a hot sultry day, facing 167 runs of strong resistance for the sixth wicket can be deflating for the fielding team. Mumbai skipper Siddhesh Lad conceded that in the final hour of play, prospects of an outright win had dimmed drastically on a Brabourne pitch that refused to crack.
With 45 minutes to go, Sarfaraz Khan produced a moment of inspiration, springing from his leg-slip position to his right to take an outstanding diving catch off brother Musheer’s bowling to foil left-handed Goyal’s (103) attempted lap shot. Sarfaraz punched the air wildly in celebration and from that point on all the subsequent action unfolded in fast forward mode.
Goyal’s wicket was just the opening Mumbai were searching for, moments later, Zubair went aerial and handed a catch to wide long-off, giving Musheer his second wicket of the day. With both set batters gone, Mumbai spinners were homing in on a win.
Deep Dive
But time left was at a premium. Sarfaraz walked up to tail ender Toufiq Mondal and inquired if he had forgotten to hit over the inner circle. That’s all it takes sometimes against lower order batters, especially a chirp coming from a player of stature. Mondal gave an almighty heave in an attempt to clear Mulani over mid-on but ended up in Kotian’s hands. A shot hit with all the force but Kotian was able to hang on to the catch.
Minutes later, Mumbai ran through the Railways tail to secure a 106-run win, completing the victory with 22 balls remaining.
“We say catches win matches. And Sarfaraz’s catch was outstanding. He is a special fielder. He had dropped a catch before that and wanted to do something for the team,” Lad said about Sarfaraz’s moment of fielding magic that sparked frenetic play towards the back-end of Day 4.
“You just kept fighting till the last hour,” Lad added. Whenever we were regrouping, there was always belief in the dressing room that we were just one wicket away.”
Earlier in the day, Mumbai opener Divyaansh Saxena brought up his maiden Ranji hundred, his fireworks helping Mumbai declare on 234/4 to post a target of 371. While Musheer’s crucial twin strikes turned the match and Mulani picked up the most wickets (4) in the second innings, Tanush Kotian was named Player-of-the-Match for his 9 wickets in the match.
With their fourth consecutive win in four matches, Mumbai top Group D Elite table with 27 points. They also have the most points among table toppers across groups as the Ranji Trophy takes a break for white-ball action.
“In the last two seasons, our league games were the same where we did really well. But we don't want to be satisfied,” said Lad. “We have a long journey ahead and want to do something special. We will try to add something to the legacy of Mumbai this season.”
