Ranji Trophy 2024 semifinals, Day 2: Shardul Thakur ton, Tanush Kotian 74* put Mumbai on top after batting collapse
Shardul Thakur (109 off 104) hit a brilliant ton, while Tanush Kotian scored 74* off 109 as Mumbai recovered from 106-7 to reach 353-9 at stumps on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy 2024 semifinal 2 against Tamil Nadu at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC, Mumbai on Sunday, March 3.
Responding to Tamil Nadu’s first-innings total of 146, Mumbai resumed their innings at 45-2. Tamil Nadu captain Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore (6-97), though, came up with a superb performance as Mumbai crumbled from 48-2 to 106-7. Thakur, though, lifted Mumbai, adding 105 runs for the eighth wicket with Hardik Tamore (35 off 93) and 79 for the ninth wicket with Kotian.
Thakur was at his counter-attacking best, smashing 13 fours and four sixes . He reached a memorable hundred in style, lofting Ajith Ram for a maximum over long off. His brilliant knock came to an end when he was caught behind off Kuldeep Sen.
Kotian took over after Thakur’s exit and clubbed Sen for three consecutive fours to reach his half-century. Kotian and Tushar Deshpande (17*) added an unbroken 63 for the last wicket by stumps on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy 2024 semifinal. Kotian hit 10 fours to continue the rearguard action for Mumbai.
Earlier in the day, Sai Kishore struck early, having Mohit Avasthi stumped for 2. Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane hung around for 19 off 67 but also fell to the Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner. Shreyas Iyer’s much-awaited return to domestic cricket did not last long, as he was bowled by Sandeep Warrier for 3.
Musheer Khan (55) brought up a hard-fought half-century before he was stumped off Sai Kishore.
The Tamil Nadu captain bowled Shams Mulani for a duck to complete his five-fer. He had his sixth when he broke the stubborn stand between Thakur and Tamore by dismissing the latter. However, with a lead of 207, Mumbai are firmly on top in the Ranji Trophy 2024 semifinal 2.
Ranji Trophy 2024 semifinal 1: Mantri hits ton, but Vidarbha hold MP to 252
In the first semifinal of the Ranji Trophy 2024 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur, Himanshu Mantri struck 126 off 265 for Madhya Pradesh against Vidarbha. However, Umesh Yadav and Yash Thakur claimed three wickets each as Vidarbha held Madhya Pradesh to 252 in their first innings.
Responding to Vidarbha’s first-innings total of 170, MP began Day 2 at 13-1. Mantri struck 13 fours and a six to hold one end up, but the batting side kept losing wickets at the other end.
They slipped from 81-1 to 252 all out as Yadav, Thakur and Akshay Wakhare (2-68) came up with good bowling efforts. Mantri was the seventh wicket to fall, caught behind off Wakhare at the score of 231.
Vidarbha lost Atharva Taide for 2 in their second innings, getting trapped lbw by Avesh Khan. At stumps on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy 2024 semifinal 1, Dhruv Shorey was batting on 10 and Wakhare on 1. Vidarbha trail Madhya Pradesh by 69 runs.