Mumbai take lead despite Steve Waugh's century

Mumbai were 83 for no loss in 28 overs when stumps were drawn on the second day of the warmup game against Australia at the CCI on Friday. Mumbai now have an overall lead of 208 runs. Vinayak Mane (45) and Wasim Jaffer (36) were at the crease at close of play.

The Australians were all out in the second over after tea. They finished on 203 for nine off 64.3 overs in reply to Mumbai's 328 for nine declared. Mark Waugh could not bat owing to a finger injury.

The Australian skipper Steve Waugh left his mark on the day's proceedings with an unbeaten century. Waugh bailed his team out with a fighting knock of 106 runs off 162 balls, studded with 10 boundaries and three sixes, after the Mumbai bowlers ran through the batting order. Paras Mhambrey bagged four for 59 and left arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni picked up four for 39.

Earlier, Mumbai skipper Sameer Dighe declared the innings at the overnight score. He was happy at the lunch interval as his bowlers had scalped four Australian wickets for 87 runs.

Paras Mhambrey accounted for Michael Slater and Ricky Ponting, whereas from the other end Nilesh Kulkarni scalped Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden in the first session.

Soon after lunch, a determined Waugh appeared onto the field and took the game away from the opposition. He applied himself very well at the crease, picking up the gaps in the field, first in a brief 31-run partnership with Adam Gilchrist for the fifth wicket and then a 70-run stand with Glenn McGrath for the ninth wicket.

Waugh was severe on all the spinners, Kulkarni, Sairaj Bahutule and Ramesh Powar. He tore apart the off spinner with two consecutive sixes that landed six rows behind in the Brabourne stadium stands. In all he took 21 runs of Powar in the 60th over, the most expensive over of the day.

The Australian innings suffered a setback when four wickets fell for just 30 runs. Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Damien Fleming and Colin Miller were dismissed in quick succession as Steve Waugh steadily ran out of partners.

Mumbai took a 125-run lead on the first innings and then openers Wasim Jaffer and Vinayak Mane came good in the last session. Mane was the more aggressive of the two. Both relished the new ball attack of Fleming and McGrath. Fleming was dispatched to the boundary on four occasions by Mane.

Shane Warne however bowled brilliantly. He extracted both spin and bounce from the wicket. The only runs to come off him were two boundaries to the cover area hit by Jaffer.