Rohit Sharma suffered a golden duck, but Mumbai had enough firepower to overcome the Uttarakhand challenge by 51 runs in a Group C match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Friday.
Batting first, Mumbai posted a solid 331 for seven with valuable contributions from keeper-batter Hardik Tamore (93 not out off 82 balls), Sarfaraz Khan (55 off 49 balls), and Musheer Khan (55 off 56 balls).
Vijay Hazare Trophy: Mumbai Vs Uttarakhand – Highlights
Musheer Khan also contributed with the ball, taking 2 for 57, as Uttarakhand managed 280 for 9, largely thanks to left-handed opener Yuvraj Choudhary’s run-a-ball 96.
Onkar Tarmale, a surprise pick by Sunrisers Hyderabad, took 2 for 40 on his List A debut and looked like a steady third seamer.
The 5000-strong crowd
had a disappointing start as their hero, Rohit, was dismissed on the very first ball he faced. Lanky medium-fast bowler Devendra Bora (3/74) claimed the most memorable wicket of his career when Rohit instinctively went for a pull shot, and Jagmohan Nagarkoti, positioned at deep fine leg, juggled before taking it on the second attempt.
While Rohit departed before the crowd had gathered in full strength, none of the 6000 to 7000 spectators left the ground, waiting for their man’s fielding session. Rohit took a sharp catch at first slip off Shardul Thakur to dismiss opener Kamal Singh.
The crowd, eager for more action, started chants of ‘Ek Do, Rohit ko bowling do’, but skipper Thakur did not heed their demand. During the 49th over, when Mumbai had already sealed the game, Tushar Deshpande even asked his senior colleague if he would like to bowl, but Rohit declined.
Earlier, when Mumbai batted, the Khan brothers, Sarfaraz and Musheer, added 107 runs for the third wicket, setting the platform for a big total. Sarfaraz mainly targeted shots square of the wicket, including a big six off left-arm spinner Mayank Mishra, while his younger brother Musheer played a lot within the ‘V’, with some straight hits over the seamer’s head. Both, however, were guilty of throwing away starts.
Tamore then took charge, running well between the wickets and using his feet effectively against the two left-arm spinners, Mishra and J Suchith, hitting them for a six each. One was an inside-out lofted drive over extra cover, while the other was hit wide off long on.
His partnership of 95 in 10.5 overs with Mumbai’s crisis man Shams Mulani (48 off 35 balls) proved decisive, although Tamore missed out on what would have been a well-deserved century.
Vijay Hazare Trophy – Brief Scores:
Mumbai: 331 for 7 in 50 overs (Hardik Tamore 93, Sarfaraz Khan 55, Musheer Khan 55; Devendra Bora 3/74).
Uttarakhand: 280/9 in 50 overs (Yuvraj Choudhary 96; Onkar Tarmale 2/40).
(With inputs from Agencies)
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