Sarfaraz Khan grinds ROI down with splendid 221 as Mumbai end Day 2 with all the ascendancy in the Irani Cup.
Sarfaraz Khan became the first-ever batter to make a double-century for Mumbai in the Irani Cup.
ROI worked away for 138 overs in Lucknow, during which he shared a 131-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane (97) for the fifth wicket and a 183-run stand with Tanush Kotian (64) for the seventh wicket.
Mumbai opened the day on 237 for 4. With the new ball less than two overs away, Rahane fell three short of a century to a bouncer from Yash Dayal after Sarfaraz and Rahane had completed the first ten overs of the day.
ROI pursued the ball into the 81st over, and they were soon rewarded when Shams Mulani was trapped by Mukesh Kumar. Kotian began cautiously when he joined Sarfaraz and Mumbai on 280 for 6. Then boundaries started to appear as the two tucked away stray balls.
Prasidh Krishna, rushing in from mid-on, lost a good chance handed by Sarfaraz on 97*, off Manav Suthar’s bowling. In the subsequent (92nd) over, Sarfaraz mentioned his fifteenth first-class century and the fifty partnership.
Mumbai’s dominance was solidified in the afternoon session with a run rate of 4.27 as they amassed 111 runs off of 26 wicketless overs. With a boundary off each of Suthar and Prasidh in the opening two overs of the session, Sarfaraz set the tone.
In the 105th over, Sarfaraz hit Suthar for a six and a four with the ball just under 25 overs old. Two balls later, Kotian hit Saransh Jain for another six. With considerable ease, Sarfaraz pulled up his 150 and Mumbai their 400. When Kotian completed his fifty, Mumbai was 449 for 6 at the end of the session. Kotian had four boundaries.
In the third over following tea, Prasidh struck twice in two deliveries, first removing Kotian with a slower ball and then trapping Mohit Avasthi leg before wicket with an inswinger. Shardul Thakur, however, demonstrated Mumbai’s batting depth with his arrival at No. 10, which gave Sarfaraz, on 186*, the freedom to play without worrying about farming the strike.
Mumbai easily surpassed 500 in the last session, with the physiotherapist, who was frequently on the pitch in the evening, permitting only 18 overs of play. Sarfaraz denied Mukesh a five-for by overturning a caught-behind call off on 211. Playing off Saransh for 36, Thakur fell against the flow of play in what ended up being the final over of the day.
If the game is tied, Mumbai will have enough points from the first innings to win the trophy.