Gujarat bowlers shine by dismissing Mumbai for 228

Gujarat 2 for 0 trail Mumbai 228 (Shaw 71, Suryakumar 57, Gaja 2-46, RP Singh 2-48) by 226 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Mumbai's batting woes that have troubled them all season extended into the grand finale too. A mix of poor shots, shocking running and an umpiring howler resulted in Gujarat using the toss advantage in their favour to take the opening day honours in Indore.

Twenty-two-year-old medium-pacer Chintan Gaja, who was drafted in for his third first-class game on the biggest stage in Indian domestic cricket, cracked open the game with the wickets of Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav. RP Singh's presence in the ears of the young pacer at mid-off proved why investing in him as a professional was a wise move. He picked up two wickets of his own to sustain pressure as Mumbai were bowled out for 228.

Gujarat openers Samit Gohel, reprieved off the first ball by Prithvi Shaw at second slip, and Priyank Panchal were unscathed after a probing over from Shardul Thakur as Gujarat ended the day with the relief that their top two run-scorers of the season would need for the second day.

It was their bowling performance without semi-final hero Jasprit Bumrah, away on national duty, on a surface with just about enough live grass to keep the bowlers interested, that edged them ahead. Rush Kalaria, deemed fit to play after injuring his shoulder in the semi-final, recovered after a wobbly first spell to maintain pressure in an intense second spell before tea, even though his figures of 20.5-5-66-1 didn't present an accurate picture.

But Gujarat's bowling would not have been the day's talking point had Shaw not been sold down the river by Suryakumar. Shaw, the 17-year old opener who played attractive back-foot punches and flicks in his 71, froze after a poor call for a single towards cover left him with no option but to try and scamper an impossible run towards the striker's end.

Until that point though, he was a picture of confidence, even if his choice of strokes were a little off at times. Yet, he showed enough glimpses of why he could be a long-term opener. When the ball was pitched up, he showed how strong he was off the pads; when pitched short, he was deep in the crease to punch. This put the onus back on Gujarat after RP Singh trapped comeback man Akhil Herwadkar in the seventh over.

Iyer, a pale shadow of the batsman who topped the run charts in 2015-16, tried to live up to his reputation of being an aggressor. Where patience was the need of the hour, it was this very trait that resulted in his downfall as he charged down the pitch and nicked an away-going delivery off Gaja to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel.

Shaw, let off first on 25 after a loose drive was fluffed by Samit Gohel at second slip, survived another chance at the bowler's end while attempting a risky single to point. But two superbly-timed back-foot punches for four in three deliveries immediately after Iyer's dismissal showed he was not playing the situation, but just reading the ball off the bowler's hand; the fifty was brought up off just 56 deliveries.

Suryakumar started slowly - he had just one scoring shot off 44 deliveries at one stage. After playing out 38 dot balls, he poked to get a thick edge for four through a vacant third slip. But he changed gears immediately after Shaw's dismissal, the hurt of having to make up for his mistake bringing out the aggressor in him. What resulted was some clean hits down the ground, two of those immediately in the over that followed Shaw's dismissal.

Suryakumar was lucky to survive a close lbw appeal on 46 while shouldering arms to an indipper that hit him on the knee roll. But Gujarat didn't have to wait long for a wicket as Hardik Patel struck. Aditya Tare played for the turn when there was none as an inside edge popped to first slip. When Suryakumar checked an attempted pull, only to be cramped for room as the ball flew to mid-off, Mumbai were in trouble at 169 for 5.

When in trouble, Mumbai have often dialed Siddhesh Lad and Abhishek Nayar. At the best of times, both batsmen rely on wearing the bowlers down. Lad, who time and again has made vital contributions this season, played and left in equal measure until an attempted hook off the last ball before tea resulted in a strong appeal as it whizzed to Parthiv. Umpire Anil Chaudhary, perhaps drawn in by the nature of the appeal from RP Singh and company, took a couple of seconds before giving him out. However, replays suggested daylight between bat and ball.

Nayar was unfazed and did what he usually does. He continued to soldier on in the hope of some support from the lower order. He found some support in Balwinder Sandhu for close to an hour, before Parthiv introduced part-time offspinner Rujul Bhatt, who struck off successive overs to send back Sandhu and Thakur. Nayar struck a few lusty blows after a mix-up with Vishal Dabholkar before being the last batsman to fall for 35 in an attempt to hit out and pocket useful runs off a tiring attack.