Ranji Trophy: Uttar Pradesh boy props up Mumbai

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal slams second successive ton to help 41-time champs post 260-5 against Uttar Pradesh

Yashasvi Jaiswal

Attrition rather than adventurism was the theme for most part at the Just Cricket Academy ground on Tuesday. Day One of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy semi-final against Uttar Pradesh was a classic case of thrust and parry, a true battle for honours on a cracking surface that challenged as well as rewarded patience, application and commitment to the cause.

If Mumbai, 260 for five at draw of stumps, emerged with their noses in front, it was primarily due to the industry of Yashasvi Jaiswal, the tall left-handed opener who brought up his second hundred in as many innings. 

Put down on 33 and 37 by wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel and Rinku Singh (gully) respectively, both off the luckless Ankit Rajpoot, Jaiswal made the most of his good fortune to oscillate between obdurate defence and sparkling stroke-play on his way to an even 100.

Early jitters for Mumbai

Born in Suriya, Uttar Pradesh, but having played all his cricket in the country’s financial capital, Jaiswal was the glue that held the Mumbai innings together after the 41-time former champions were put in by Karan Sharma. 

The Uttar Pradesh captain had perhaps been sucked in by the nature of the surface, and his move seemed justified when, just past the first hour of the day, Mumbai were reduced to 24 for two.

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Both those wickets, though, came through poor strokes. Prithvi Shaw, the captain, drove loosely at the second ball of the game, from left-arm seamer Yash Dayal, to put second slip in business while Armaan Jaffer played across and around a  Shivam Mavi inswinger to be trapped palpably in front.

Then began Mumbai’s fightback, orchestrated painstakingly by Jaiswal and Suved Parkar, coming off 252 on debut in the quarter-final against Uttarakhand. 

Jaiswal was enterprising while Parkar was entirely becalmed—he made just three from his first 39 balls—but they ticked the first box of frustrating and blunting UP’s pace attack and accurate left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar.

Crucial partnerships

Post lunch, Parkar was a lot more positive until he reached out to a wide ball from Dayal and picked out point unerringly. By then, Jaiswal had been reprieved twice and made UP pay alongside the in-form Sarfaraz Khan as the score board gathered pace.

The tall left-hander and the chunky right-hander added 83 for the fourth wicket when Sarfaraz top-edged a reverse-sweep against Karan’s off-spin. 

Unfazed, Jaiswal carried on, with wicketkeeper Hardik Tamore for company. A cracking punch through covers took him to three-figures before he was strangled down leg next ball, trudging off disconsolately to warm applause from the pavilion.

Tamore, who replaced the injured Aditya Tare, batted beautifully to race to his half-century as Uttar Pradesh leaked runs with the second new ball. 

Round one to Mumbai, then.

Brief scores
Mumbai 260-5 (Y Jaiswal 100, H Tamore 51 batting; Y Dayal 2-35, K Sharma 2-39) v UP