da bwin： Cricinfo traces Mumbai’s path to the final of the Super League of the 2008-09 Ranji Trophy
Cricinfo staff10-Jan-2009Mumbai
Wasim Jaffer and Ajinkya Rahane were the mainstay of Mumbai’s batting, each racking up over 1,000 runs © Cricinfo Ltd
Round 1, v Rajasthan in Mumbai
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After failing to enter the knockout round last season Mumbai needed a fresh start. They bounced back in resounding fashion with a 237-run win over Rajasthan at home. Dhawal Kulkarni fell short of matching Suru Nayak’s record of picking 10 wickets on debut as he lead Mumbai’s bowling on his bony shoulders admirably even as Ajit Agarkar went wicketless. Senior offspinner Ramesh Powar matched Kulkarni’s five-wicket haul in the first innings with his own, as the duo doused Rajasthan’s spirits in clinical fashion. Their hardwork was equalled by a quickfire in-a-session century by Rohit Sharma which put the game out of Rajasthan’s reach.Round 2, v Gujarat in Surat
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This one was a tougher gambit. Gujarat had just overwhelmed Saurashtra by an innings. Mumbai’s challenge was increased by the departure of Rohit, who had left to play the ODI series against England. But Wasim Jaffer proved his credentials as a domestic giant, sharing a match-turning 218-run second-wicket partnership with Ajinkya Rahane. Both batsman cracked the season’s first tons respectively. Kulkarni displayed his prowess to strike early once again with four first-innings wickets and Gujarat were forced to follow-on. On return, the hosts suffered the second-worst defeat in their Ranji history, with Mumbai thundering to an innings-and-239-run win to establish their supremacy once again. Kulkarni, Agarkar and Powar picked three each as Gujarat were gobbled up for 44, which was just one run more than their lowest total in the Ranji Trophy, 43 against Bombay in 1958-59.Round 3, v Delhi in Delhi
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The usual needle to this rivalry was somewhat in Mumbai’s favour: compared to their two outright victories, Delhi were languishing in the bottom half with just three points. The absence of regulars like Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Ashish Nehra hurt them further. Mumbai got off to an anxious start when they lost Jaffer early on (2 for 72) but Rahane showed his fast-growing maturity with the second straight hundred, as he combined well with Mumbai’s most senior batsman Amol Muzumdar in a 223-run stand for the third wicket. In a match stuttering towards a draw after Delhi conceded a 35-run first-inning lead, Mumbai gained some batting practice with Sahil Kukreja scoring a double-hundred. Mumbai retained top place in the group with first-innings points.Round 4, v Saurashtra in Rajkot
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In the end Mumbai were left trembling on the precipice and the fall was avoided by the stiff resistance of their lower middle-order led by Ramesh Powar. After Saurashtra amassed 643 for 4 with centuries from the opening combine of Chirag Pathak, making his debut, Bhusan Chavan and Cheteshwar Pujara, another debutant, Balkrishna Jadeja, rattled Mumbai’s top-order forcing them to follow-on. Balkrishna returned to add Jaffer and Rahane on the final morning. At 89 for 5 Saurashtra were eyeing a big victory, but Powar refused to give up and his four-hour-long vigil gave Mumbai the solace of a single point.Round 5, v Hyderabad in Mumbai
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Cricket returned to Mumbai after the metropolis was rocked by the 26/11 terror blasts. Just like its citizens were looking to return to normal life, the cricketers, too, wanted to bounce back after the damage wrecked by Saurashtra. Jaffer’s sparkling 256 and a record 335-run partnership with Rahane laid the foundation for the victory. Kulkarni’s 7-50, career-best figures, ensured that Hyderabad were crushed by an innings and 108 runs. Mumbai earned the bonus point for the second time.
Dhawal Kulkarni tops Mumbai’s tally with 37 wickets © Cricinfo Ltd
Round 6, v Orissa in Cuttack
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Virtually assured of a knockout berth, Mumbai decided to offer chances to rookies including debutant Rahil Shaikh, a tall, raw, left-arm fast bowler. On a skiddy pitch Mumbai were knocked out for 180, but the trio of Kulkarni, Kshemal Waingankar and Shaikh ran through the hosts quickly, helping Mumbai to a 72-run lead. Then Rahane turned the match on its head, blasting a run-a-ball double century, a career-best performance that gave Mumbai an ample lead and time to bowl out Orissa. A 315-run victory put Mumbai into the quarterfinals.Round 7, v Punjab in Mumbai
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Muzumdar jumped ecstatically in the air, doffed his cap towards the dressing room to thank his team-mates after he recorded the season’s first century, thus putting to an end fits-and-starts-run in the previous rounds. His efforts had put Mumbai well ahead of Punjab, who were restricted to 202 after electing to bat. Though Uday Kaul delayed the inevitable with a stubborn 136 (unbeaten), Jaffer and Rahane blasted their way to the 149-run target to finish the league campaign on a victorious note, at the end of which Mumbai had the highest number of wins (5).Quarter-finals, v Himachal Pradesh in Ahmedabad
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Though victory was achieved comfortably in the end this game once again exposed Mumbai’s bowlers’ inability to finish off the job. At 74 for 5 Himachal were reeling under severe pressure on the first day but they managed to get to 250. Jaffer then picked up his third century while Rohit missed his second by two runs; Mumbai scored 495. Once again Himachal were proving to be gritty customers, starting the final day on 200 for 5, but Agarkar, who had missed a couple of games previously due to bad health, returned to grab three quick wickets in seven balls. He went on to grab his first five-wicket haul of the season. Mumbai crossed the target of 43 easily to set up an enticing clash with Saurashtra.Semis, v Saurashtra, in Chennai
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Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan returned to strengthen Mumbai’s resolve to settle the scores with Saurashtra. But despite the huge amount of experience in their ranks Mumbai once again had to sweat it out to topple their plucky opponents. Jaffer’s triple ton and Tendulkar’s spectacular century had helped Mumbai to a mammoth total. But a mixture of solid resistance from Saurashtra’s batsmen, sloppy fielding, aimless bowling and the impending scare of a cyclone almost spoilt Mumbai’s progress. Kotak once again erected a wall that none of the bowlers could break through, but once he flicked one into the hands of short fine leg at the end of the third evening, Mumbai found another opening to bounce back. It still took them a while, what with the lower-order pair of Kamlesh Makwana and Rakesh Dhruv surviving the first session, but Mumbai wrapped up the matter in the nick of time before bad light forced the game to be abandoned.