Mumbai build after Zaheer show

Mumbai 320 (Jaffer 112, Tendulkar 105) and 113 for 2 (Jaffer 50*, Mota 0*) lead Bengal 143 (Tiwary 43, Zaheer 5-40) by 290 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

At the end of the second day of the Ranji Trophy final Mumbai were right on top thanks mainly to a penetrative spell from Zaheer Khan, who picked up five wickets and skittled Bengal over for only 143 in response to the hosts' 320. Bengal's tail was good enough to avert a follow-on that seemed likely at one stage, but when Mumbai ended the day on 113 for 2, an overall lead of 290, one team held all the aces, with three days to play.

When the day began with Mumbai on 281 for 5, there was still hope that they would post a score tall enough to allow them to bat just once in this game. But Abhishek Nair (15) copped an unlucky break, and was given out caught behind off Sourav Sarkar when the bat appeared to miss ball and strike the floor. With just 17 added to the overnight score of 281, the door opened for Bengal.

Sarkar was in the action again as Rohit Sharma was sent back by Vinayak Samant after setting off for a single, and run out for 15. At 298 for 7, all that was left to do, with no recognised batsmen left at the crease, was scramble a few runs. But Ranadeb Bose, who bowled well without much luck on the first day, had other plans; he removed Samant (0) and Zaheer in the space of 15 runs. Ramesh Powar, usually good for a few runs, tried to disrupt the bowlers' rhythm by stepping out or making room, but he failed in his quest, and was bowled by Sarkar, ending the Mumbai innings on 320.

If Bengal felt any sense of relief it evaporated soon enough. The superior bowling firepower of Mumbai set to work immediately, and Ajit Agarkar produced a brute of a delivery that got big on Deep Dasgupta, who could only fend awkwardly to Sharma at short-leg. Bengal had lost their captain for a duck in the first over, and worse was to follow. Zaheer angled the ball nicely across Abhishek Jhunjhunwala and when the batsman prodded without much foot movement the result was a nick that Samant snapped up behind the stumps.

A partnership of sorts built between Arindam Das and Manoj Tiwary, but Zaheer made his Mumbai debut memorable by hurrying Das for pace and having him caught behind with the score on 28. Then the excitement built to a fever pitch as Sourav Ganguly walked slowly out to the middle and took his time marking his guard as the crowd cheered his name.

The hype was deflated instantly as Zaheer punched through Ganguly's defences with a quick delivery that slanted back in and beat the stroke for pace. The ball took the inside edge and uprooted the middle stump, and Mumbai were over the moon, celebrating in a huddle as Ganguly was sent back for a first-ball duck. At 28 for 4, with their premier batsman gone, Bengal were in dire straits.

For Zaheer, though, this was business as usual - he has now dismissed Ganguly for three ducks in the last three times the two have come up against each other. The last occasion was the Duleep Trophy final in the previous season when two screaming yorkers sent Ganguly back without troubling the scorers. Tiwari's attractive strokeplay saved Bengal from further embarrassment as he who took the score from 28 for 4 till 72 before the next cluster of wickets fell.

Zaheer struck again, having Rohan Gavaskar caught behind. Two more wickets fell on the same score, as Zaheer and Samant combined again to remove Laxmi Ratan Shukla. The real big blow came soon after, though, when Tiwary was slow in moving his feet to a well-pitched up delivery from Wilkin Mota and was trapped lbw for 42.

At 72 for 7 the follow-on target of 120 looked miles away. However, Mumbai's intensity flagged and the tailenders made the most of this, swatting the ball for runs. Saurashish Lahiri (22), Sarkar (25) and later Ashok Dinda (22 not out), took Bengal to relative safety at 143 all out. Zaheer had picked up 5 for 40, and Mumbai had a more-than-handy 177-run first-innings lead.

Sahul Kukreja went early once more, and then an hour of attractive strokeplay followed as Wasim Jaffer and Sharma put on 107 for the second wicket, making the most of good batting conditions against Bengal's tiring bowlers. There was little in the pitch, and the runs flowed easily, till Sharma (57) was slightly late on a ball from Dinda and was bowled. Jaffer was unbeaten on 50 as Mumbai went off at stumps on 113 for 2.