A stellar first innings outing with the bat and a dominant show with the ball led Mumbai to steamroll Tamil Nadu within the second semifinal of the Ranji Trophy 2024. The 41-time Ranji Trophy champions have made their approach right into a record-extending forty eighth ultimate after beating TN by an innings and 70 runs on the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC, Mumbai.
Mumbai first bowled Tamil Nadu out for 146 within the first innings with a spectacular bowling effort earlier than Shardul Thakur got here to the rescue with the bat. The hosts have been reeling at 106/7 and have been staring a potential deficit however Shardul struck 109 from 104 balls earlier than Tanush Kotian, recent from his century within the quarterfinal, scored a vital 89 to take Mumbai to 378. Shardul received to his maiden century in first-class cricket, whereas Kotian scored back-to-back scores of fifty-plus. Regardless of being in a spot of trouble for some time, the Ajinkya Rahane-led facet took a 232-run lead.
Sai Kishore’s Tamil Nadu was up in opposition to a frightening process to make their approach into their thirteenth ultimate. However their hopes didn’t materialise as a consequence of an excellent bowling effort from the hosts. Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani took 4 wickets whereas Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi and Tanush Kotian snared two wickets every to seal the win for the hosts.
The sport led to three days. Mumbai had their noses forward after the top of the primary day. They first bowled the guests out for 146 with Tushar Deshpande taking three wickets, whereas Shardul, Musheer and Tanush claimed two wickets a chunk. They have been at 45/2 when the opening day ended with each openers Prithvi Shaw and Bhupen Lalwani again to the hut. Sai Kishore’s fifer introduced the guests again into the sport as Mumbai went down from 91/3 to 106/7 earlier than Shardul got here to the rescue. He performed a stroke-filled knock of 109 from 105 balls and when he fell, the crew was already at 290/9. Tushar Deshpande and Tanush, who notched a 232-run stand within the quarterfinal, mixed for an 82-run stand to take the hosts previous 350.
Mumbai added 25 to their in a single day complete of day 2 on the third day earlier than they set a lead of 232 runs. Openers Sai Sudharsan and Narayan Jagadeesan and Washington Sundar fell with the crew at 10, which made issues worse for them. Baba Indrajith and Pradosh Ranjan Paul introduced a stand of 73 runs earlier than Tanush received the latter. Indrajith made 70, which was the very best rating of the second innings with the following highest being Pradosh Paul’s 25. They have been by no means within the sport after the first-inning assault from Mumbai and conceded the ultimate which implies their entry into the summit conflict has to attend for an additional yr. Tamil Nadu’s final ultimate look got here 9 years again in 2014-15.
Mumbai will now play the winner of Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha within the ultimate from March 10 onwards.
