Ranji Trophy | Shreyas and Lad’s regal partnership takes reigning champion to mammoth score

Making a statement: Shreyas bludgeoned the Odisha attack with a 228-ball 233.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO: EMMANUAL YOGINI

Two batters recorded their personal best in First Class cricket and the duo created a record for Mumbai’s fourth wicket partnership in the Ranji Trophy.

As a result, Mumbai posted a gargantuan total before the bowlers tightened the noose around Odisha’s neck in an Elite Group A tie at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground here on Thursday.

Shreyas Iyer (233, 228b, 24×4, 9×6) and Siddhesh Lad (169 n.o., 337b, 17×4) converted their overnight association into Mumbai’s highest fourth-wicket stand (354 runs) in the tournament. Suryansh Shedge (79 n.o., 36b, 7×4, 6×6) then served a timely reminder for the IPL franchises with a cameo before Mumbai declared its first innings at 602 for four, 20 minutes post lunch.

Thanks to Himanshu Singh extracting bounce and turn, Mumbai then reduced the visitor to 146 for five despite Sandeep Pattanaik’s (73 n.o., 141b, 11×4, 1×6) fluent innings. Had Angkrish Raghuvanshi not grassed a regulation catch at second slip off Debabrata Pradhan’s edge to deprive Shardul Thakur of a second wicket, Odisha would have been in further disarray.

The primary damage, however, was done with the bat as Mumbai plundered 217 runs off just 203 balls before the declaration. While Shreyas was severe on pacers – his sixes over covers in Sunil Roul’s consecutive overs that catapulted him from 180s into 190s being the highlight of his innings.

With Lad rotating strike without any comfort, the stylish batter cut loose. But a tired shot off left-arm spinner Harshit Rathod resulted in him being sharply stumped by Aashirwad Swain.

Shedge then came in and took a full toll on a hapless attack and helped Mumbai hasten the declaration.

Shardul then got one to rise on opener Swastik Samal who pulled it onto his stumps before Pattanaik and opener Anurag Sarangi put on an impressive three-figure partnership. Offspinner Himanshu sneaked through the left-handed Sarangi’s defence to break the stand.

It triggered a mini-collapse as Mumbai picked three wickets for two runs in 16 balls. The onus will be on Pattanaik to stretch the innings on the third morning and wear out Mumbai’s four specialist bowlers as much as possible.

The scores:

Mumbai – 1st innings: Angkrish Raghuvanshi b Samantray 92, Ayush Mhatre lbw b Suryakant 18, Siddhesh Lad (not out) 169, Ajinkya Rahane lbw b Samantray 0, Shreyas Iyer st. Swain b Rathod 233, Suryansh Shedge (not out) 79; Extras (b-4, lb-6, w-1): 11; Total (for 4 wkts. decl. in 123.5 overs) 602.

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-154, 3-154, 4-508.

Odisha bowling: Suryakant 21-7-66-1, Debabrata 16-1-85-0, Roul 20-0-125-0, Rathod 30-1-136-1, Samantray 10-2-57-2, Biswal 4-0-28-0, Poddar 18.5-0-81-0, Samal 4-0-14-0.

Odisha – 1st innings: Anurag Sarangi b Himanshu 39, Swastik Samal b Shardul 0, Sandeep Pattanaik (batting) 73, Govinda Poddar c Tamore b Mulani 0, Biplab Samantray c Rahane b Himanshu 0, Kartik Biswal b Mulani 22, Debabrata Pradhan (batting) 7; Extras (b-5): 5; Total (for 5 wickets in 49 overs): 146.

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-110, 3-111, 4-112, 5-137.

Mumbai bowling: Shardul 10-0-26-1, Dias 7-1-27-0, Shedge 4-0-14-0, Mulani 17-3-52-2, Himanshu 11-3-22-2.