Mumbai's extraordinary run in finals

Stats highlights from the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy season

28-Jan-2013

Wasim Jaffer prepares to play a cut, Mumbai v Bengal, Group A, Ranji Trophy 2012-13, Mumbai, December 1, 2012

Click here for the list of highest run-getters in the 2012-13 season and here for the list of highest wicket-takers.

Mumbai went on to win the Ranji Trophy for the 40th time. They have only been beaten in four finals by Holkar (1947-48), Delhi (1979-80), Karnataka (1982-83) and Haryana (1990-91). In the last seven seasons, Mumbai have won four. In this season, however, Mumbai have not been that dominant winning only two matches outright out of 11 played. Their only other win came against Madhya Pradesh in Indore, when they defended a target of 311 and won by seven runs. Punjab and Uttar Pradesh (four wins each) have won the most matches this season. Mumbai's victory margin in the final (innings and 125 runs) is the highest in the 2012-13 season surpassing Kerala's innings and 77 run win against Tripura in December.

Wasim Jaffer, who scored his third century of the season, became the highest run-getter in the history of the tournament surpassing the aggregate of Amol Muzumdar. Jaffer also has the most centuries (32) in Ranji Trophy matches surpassing Ajay Sharma, who scored 31 centuries. Jaffer is also one of eight batsmen to score over 800 runs in the 2012-13 season. He also went past 16000 first-class runs in the process. Mumbai finished well ahead on the list of teams with the most centuries (20) in the season followed by Punjab (13) and Uttar Pradesh (12).

Saurashtra, who were bowled out for 82, avoided the lowest total in a Ranji final. The lowest ever total in a Ranji final is Tamil Nadu's 61 against Mumbai in 1972-73. Saurashtra's total is also their lowest in the season and the fourth-lowest overall for any team in the 2012-13 season. Only Punjab (59) were bowled out for a lower total in a game against Mumbai this season. Saurashtra's lowest ever total (25) also came against Mumbai in 1951-52. It is also the first instance (in this season) that the top seven batsmen have been dismissed for single-digit scores.

Mumbai's wicketkeeper Aditya Tare ended the season as the most successful wicketkeeper with 41 dismissals in 11 matches. Punjab's Uday Kaul also finished with the same number of dismissals in ten matches. Tare's tally of 41 dismissals is a record for a season in the Ranji Trophy surpassing Vinayak Samant's 40 dismissals in the 2008-09 season.

Dhawal Kulkarni, who picked up 5 for 32 in Saurashtra's second innings, finished with match figures of 9 for 56. It is the second-best match bowling performance by a Mumbai bowler in this season after Ankit Chavan's 12 for 165 against Punjab. Mumbai's bowlers ended the season with 155 wickets, which is second only to Punjab's tally of 166 wickets (bowler wickets only). Mumbai's pace bowlers picked up 102 wickets at 28.69 while the spinners picked up 53 wickets at 35.30.

Pace bowlers finished with 2056 wickets at an average of 29.58 with 90 five-fors. In comparison, spinners ended with 998 wickets at 39.02 with 31 five-fors. Last season, spinners picked up 778 wickets at 39.06 with 34 five-wicket hauls while pace bowlers once again proved to be more successful with 1520 wickets at an average of 30.83 with 69 five-fors.

Wasim Jaffer India Saurashtra vs Mumbai Ranji Trophy Indian Domestic Season

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan is a sub-editor (stats) at ESPNcricinfo