Despite star Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma departing for a golden duck against Uttarakhand, Mumbai had enough firepower in their arsenal to quell the opposition’s challenge, registering a 51-run win in their Group C match of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy on Friday.
Batting first in the 50-over contest, Mumbai scored a competitive 331 for seven with useful contributions from wicketkeeper-batter Hardik Tamore (93 not out off 82 balls), Sarfaraz Khan (55 off 49 balls), and Musheer Khan (55 off 56 balls).
Sarfaraz and Musheer added 107 runs for the third wicket to lay the platform for a big total.
While Sarfaraz mainly hit shots square of the wicket, including a big six off left-arm spinner Mayank Mishra, his younger brother Musheer played a lot within the `V` with some straight hits over the seamer`s head.
After his contribution with the bat, Musheer also showed his class with the ball. The Mumbai all-rounder picked up two wickets while conceding 57 runs, helping restrict Uttarakhand to 280 for 9. The only notable performance with the bat for Uttarakhand came from left-handed opener Yuvraj Choudhary, who scored 96.
In the bowling department, Onkar Tarmale, a surprise pick by Sunrisers Hyderabad, picked up two wickets for 40 runs on his List A debut for Mumbai and looked a steady third seamer.
Massive crowd at Jaipur`s Sawai Man Singh Stadium
With Sharma playing, Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Stadium witnessed a crowd of around 5000 spectators, news agency PTI reported .
Lanky medium-fast bowler Devendra Bora (3/74) claimed the most memorable wicket of his career so far when he dug one short, forcing the former India skipper into an instinctive pull shot.
Jagmohan Nagarkoti, stationed at deep fine leg, juggled before taking it on the second attempt, making sure that Sharma lasted just one ball.
While Sharma departed before the crowd had gathered in full steam, spectators remained in anticipation of the stalwart’s fielding display. He took a sharp catch at first slip off Shardul Thakur to dismiss opener Kamal Singh, according to PTI.
The crowd inside the stadium wanted to see more of Sharma and began chanting, “Ek Do, Rohit ko bowling do,” but skipper Thakur did not heed their demand.
Furthermore, during the 49th over when Mumbai had sealed the game, Tushar Deshpande asked his senior colleague if he would like to roll his arm over, but he refused.
Brief scores
Mumbai: 331 for 7 in 50 overs (Hardik Tamore 93, Sarfaraz Khan 55, Musheer Khan 55; Devendra Bora 3/74).
Uttarakhand: 280/9 in 50 overs (Yuvraj Choudhary 96; Onkar Tarmale 2/40).
