Kambli stands tall as Mumbai make 303/6

With the flick of a coin, Hyderabad ruined Mumbai's best laid plans. Mohammed Azharuddin began well, winning the toss and putting Mumbai in to bat. The preparation of the wicket and indeed their team composition banked on the fact that Mumbai would get the first go with the ball. Denying them this advantage, Hyderabad did well to restrict Mumbai to 303/6 on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy final at the Wankhede stadium on Wednesday, despite a fighting century from Vinod Kambli.

Nevertheless, Mumbai had the batting to set up a good platform. Sameer Dighe and Wasim Jaffer took on Narendrapal Singh and Fiaz Ahmed in an interesting first few overs. Though the two Hyderabad medium pacers generated good nip off the wicket, it took them six overs to break through.

Dighe left his bat hanging limply in the air outside the off stump and edged a Fiaz Ahmed delivery straight to Azharuddin at slip. Azhar has taken too many catches at that position to miss out.

Jatin Paranjpe joined an increasingly confident Jaffer out in the middle and pushed the scoring on. At the end of the 10th over, spin in the form of Venkatapathy Raju was introduced into the attack. Raju bowled a tidy little spell but was taken off after he had completed three overs conceding just four runs.

Narendrapal had his first wicket when Jaffer slashed a ball from wide outside off stump straight to Raju at point. Jafffer looked good for more but succumbed on 32.

That short man with the stout heart and broad blade walked out to the middle amidst rapturous applause from an adoring Mumbai crowd. Sachin Tendulkar was once again in command of the proceedings. Every loose ball on offer was treated with generous servings of contempt. Driving through the line with supreme power and ease, Tendulkar raced to 14 including three boundaries.

Having played solidly for 10 runs, Paranjpe found himself at the wrong end of an LBW appeal. Struck just outside the off stump, Paranjpe looked at the umpire in disbelief as the dreaded finger sent the southpaw on his way.

School mate and long time friend Vinod Kambli joined Tendulkar out in the middle and the two took the attack to Venkatpathy Raju. Smashing him back over his head with regularity, the pair toyed with the bowling and dictated the field placement. Raju's fifth over cost Hyderabad 15 runs. Medium pacer Vanka Pratap peppered Kambli with short pitched stuff and was viciously pulled away to the mid wicket boundary on each occasion.

The Mumbai hundred came up just before lunch. After the run feast in the semifinal against Tamil Nadu, this was a rather sedate start.

When Tendulkar slashed hard at an off spinner from Raju and was caught behind, the match seemed to lose all its fizz. The crowd quietened down, the pace of the game slowed down and that was that.

Kambli assumed the mantle of senior batsman. The usually stylish Amol Muzumdar came down the wicket prematurely and was beaten in the air by Raju. He chipped the ball straight to Satwalkar at cover and it was all upto Kambli and the Mumbai tail.

Paras Mhambrey who has done a fair bit with the bat in this season alone kept Kambli good company. He played with a straight bat and was predominantly defensive in his approach. At tea Mumbai were 238/5.

Kambli, 83 at the interval, got to his hundred, a well deserved one given the circumstances. "I think it was a mature knock" he told the press at the end of the day. An emotional Kambli was also quick to add "I looked up to the sky because I knew my mother would be watching me. In the last match I could not make a hundred and was disappointed. This century I would like to dedicate to the memory of my mother."

The day ended with quasi all rounders Ajit Agarkar (14) and Mhambrey (38) at the crease. At this stage the match could go either way.