Mumbai poised to enter Ranji Trophy final

The first half hour of play dictated terms for the whole match. Sachin Tendulkar took the game by the horns, scored the runs required to secure a first innings lead and knocked the stuffing out of the visiting team. At the end of the day, Tamil Nadu were staring defeat in the face with Mumbai needing just 64 runs to win the Ranji Trophy semifinal with a whole day and nine wickets in hand.

With just 16 runs to score to take a first innings lead, the air was thick with tension at the Wankhede Stadium. Tamil Nadu were right on the ball in the field, keen to deny Mumbai every small opportunity. Kumaran conceded just one run in his first over and kept the pressure up.

Mahesh bowled a dot ball to start his first over, the second of the day. Tendulkar eased the ball past towards long off and pushed hard for two. Unable to keep up, Kuruvilla was stranded by a good throw from Gokulakrishna in the deep. One wicket was down and tension was mounting.

Santosh Saxena came to the crease but had to be content watching Tendulkar from the non striker's end. He had no regrets doing that. Coming down the wicket, Tendulkar showed the full face of a very heavy bat as he lofted Mahesh back over his head. The ball lifted, climbed, took off and never returned. The Tamil Nadu team looked in disarray as the ball disappeared out of the stadium. Sensibly, Tendulkar took a single off the last ball of the over and kept the strike.

With the field well spread out, Tendukar nudged the ball to the on side and picked up a couple. Showing tremendous control under pressure, he smashed the next ball from Kumaran through the covers for four. The scores were level.

With one more run left to score, Saxena survived a good tight over from Mahesh. Making the tailender play every ball, Mahesh almost had his man when the ball rapped the pads. The umpire negated the appeal in the face of much vehement appealing.

Off the next over, Tendulkar took a boundary off Kumaran and settled the issue. A single later, Saxena scooped the ball to Badani at mid wicket and Mumbai were all out for 490. A lead of just five runs. Five very crucial runs however.

Tendulkar was unbeaten on 233, his highest first class score. Once again the little genius had shown why people call him the world's best batsman.

Losing the first innings lead to Mumbai broke the back of the Tamil Nadu team. When they came out to bat the second time around, the Tamil Nadu players showed no focus worth talking about.

The wickets tumbled with no one in the top five making 20. Amidst flashy driving, cutting and pulling, Ajit Agarkar snared Sriram and Madanagopal. The latter was completely undone by a superb yorker from Agarkar. Lulling Madanagopal into a false sense of complacency with successive deliveries wide outside the off stump, Agarkar let rip a yorker that sent the middle stump flying yards back.

Robin Singh patted a harmless ball from Kuruvilla straight back to him after carving him over the infield. At 43/5, Tamil Nadu had their heads well and truly on the chopping block.

Reuben Paul and Hemang Badani livened up the proceedings straight after lunch with some crisp hitting. Never one to hang about, Reuben went after the bowling with gusto. He played and missed more than once, even mis-hit the ball but was not deterred. Swinging freely through the line he helped himself to four boundaries and a couple of sixes in his knock of 46. When he was out playing one shot too many to Powar it hardly came as a surprise.

In the meantime, Badani was capitalising on some good form, mixing aggression with caution most judiciously. When he chose to attack, it was always an all out attack. Coming down the wicket to Pawar, Badani lofted the ball effortlessly over mid off. The ball landed in the upper tier, speaking volumes of the good touch he was in.

Sadagopan Mahesh lasted just two balls and was visibly upset when given out caught behind off the bowling of Saxena. Gesturing that the ball might have come off his body, Mahesh threw the bat down in disgust when he saw the umpire's finger go up. For good measure, he spent a couple of minutes shaking his head and even exchanged words with the umpire before he stalked off the field.

Badani was run out on 63 when he and Aashish Kapoor took of for a single that wasn't quite on. A good throw from Wasim Jaffer found it's mark and that was the end of both Badani and interest in the Tamil Nadu innings. Kumaran was soon trapped LBW and the innings folded for just 171. This left Mumbai a target of 167 for victory with three just under two sessions and a day to make the runs.

Sameer Dighe and Wasim Jaffer motored along sedately. The Tamil Nadu bowlers made no dent on the batsmen till spin was introduced. Kapoor, bowling with a bit of guile, thought he had Jaffer caught close to the bat. When the umpire negated the unanimous loud shout from the fielders, the off spinner's disappointment was clear for all to see.

After that incident, Kapoor did get his due when Jaffer edged an arm ball to Ramesh at slip. However that was the only joy for the Tamil Nadu team. Jatin Paranjpe and Dighe batted confidently to take Mumbai through to 104/1 at close. Both swept the spinners well, and Dighe was relieved to end the day with a half century to his credit.

Mumbai will resume tomorrow needing 63 more runs for victory. Unless it rains all day, Mumbai will win this match outright in no time. For Tamil Nadu it would seem that yet another season has gone by with nothing but a spirited performance to show for it.