Suicidal Mumbai scramble to a draw

Hosts Mumbai were in a suicidal mood as they managed to salvage a draw against Baroda in the Under-22 West Zone tournament match played at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. Mumbai earned five points banking on their first innings lead and the visitors went home smiling with three points.

Mumbai were set a target of 44 runs off three overs in the second innings to win the match. The hosts went after the runs and in the process, lost six wickets for nine runs in three overs. Two of the wickets were needless run outs. Shekhar Joshi scalped three wickets. Joshi was on a hat-trick on the last ball of the day. He foxed Sachin Sawant with the fourth ball of his second over and skipper Hrishekesh Shinde was back in the pavilion on the fifth. The last ball was bowled with a rare field placement, with all nine fielders in the slip cordon. Amol Bhalekar played out the last ball. Joshi returned with the magical figures of three for six runs off two overs.

On the opening day on Monday, Mumbai skipper Hrishikesh Shinde won the toss and invited the visitors to bat first. His medium pacers did not disappoint him as they reduced the Baroda top order to 79 for three in 30 overs. Opener Rohan Salvi (42) and Jitendra Singh (44) put up a brave fightback. Rohit Chandorkar top scored with a quickfire 49 off 55 balls with seven boundaries and two sixes. Baroda were all out for 195 off 67.2 overs. Sachin Sawant scalped five for 36 and Sriran Kannan supported him with three for 38.

The hosts lost their first two wickets in quick succession. Pinkesh Gurbaxani sent back Amol Patil and Shekhar Joshi scalped Sachin Sawant for nought. The middle order fought back. Kunal More and Saket Adhikari added 230 runs for the fifth wicket off 52 overs. More top scored with an unbeaten 173 off 208 balls with 24 hits to the fence and one over it. Adhikari scored 77 off 188 balls with eight boundaries. Mumbai declared on 336 for five off 110 overs, taking a 141-run lead.

Baroda did not far any better in their second innings and were bundled out for 184 off 84.5 overs. Jitendar Singh top scored with 71 off 187 balls with seven hits to the fence. Sriram Kannan was the wrecker-in-chief as he bagged four for 38. Kunal More took three for 29 with his left arm spinners.