Paranjpe and Mane help Mumbai make a strong reply

Mumbai relied on their superior batting skills to make a strong reply to Punjab's first innings total of 383. The hosts ended the second day of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal at the Wankhede Stadium at 162 for 2 with opener Vinayak Mane and night watchman S Kannan unbeaten on 70 and 5 respectively. The highlight of the day was the 138-run second wicket partnership between Mane and Jatin Paranjpe (68).

Earlier, Punjab resumed at 299 for 4 and the overnight batsman Yuvraj Singh notched up a well deserved century while helping his team to post a fighting total. Yuvraj, who was 86 overnight, had already forged a 63-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Reetinder Singh Sodhi (46). The duo extended their partnership to 95 runs in the course of the morning. The partnership was broken when Sodhi was caught by Paranjpe off Mhambrey in the 102nd over of the innings. Sodhi who missed out on a half century was at the crease for 140 minutes and faced 102 balls and found the signboards eight times.

Thereafter Yuvraj took up the mantle of scoring the runs. It was chiefly due to his efforts that Punjab extended their score keeping in view that the lower order was sent back cheaply. It was Mhambrey who came back to polish off the tail. The former Indian medium pacer returned figures of 5 for 77. After taking the fight to the opposition camp, Yuvraj was the ninth batsman to be dismissed when he gave a return catch to Rajesh Pawar. During a shade over five and a half hours at the crease, Yuvraj faced 209 balls to score 135 runs while bludgeoning 15 boundaries and managing to send one over the ropes.

Mumbai started their innings on the wrong foot losing the former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer for nine when he was leg before to Vineet Kumar in the eighth over of the innings. Jatin Paranjpe replaced Jaffer in the middle and things looked bright. Paranjpe played a typically fighting innings. But more important was the fact that he shared a century stand with Mane in 51 overs that sealed the day's proceedings in favour of the hosts. Paranjpe was finally dismissed at the fag end of the day, trapped in front of the stumps by Sodhi. Mane and Kannan saw through the final four overs of the day.