Shamik Chakrabarty in Mumbai
Just before tea on the third day, Shardul Thakur, the Mumbai captain, brought Ayush Mhatre into the attack. The 18-year-old, the team’s opening batsman, had previously bowled only one over at this level. But Himachal Pradesh were building a partnership through Pukhraj Mann (65) and Nikhil Gangta (23) after following on, and Shardul made the surprise move.
It turned out to be a partnership-breaking masterstroke, Mhatre dismissing a well-set Mann. The floodgates opened. From 112/4 at one stage, Himachal folded for 139 in their second innings to lose the Ranji Trophy match here at the MCA Ground in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) by an innings and 120 runs. A win with a bonus point took Mumbai’s tally to 17 from four matches. They sit atop the Group D table, and as Shardul said post-match, had rain not played spoilsport against Chhattisgarh, they could have been on 20 points by now.
Once Ajinkya Rahane decided to step down as Mumbai captain before the start of the season and Shreyas Iyer took a break from red-ball cricket due to his back problems, Shardul became almost an automatic choice to lead the 42-time Ranji Trophy champions this term. He has made a strong impression as skipper, through his tactical nous, instinctive calls, and proactive approach. Shardul tries to make things happen rather than allowing the game to drift.
“I like to play around tactics a lot in games,” Shardul told reporters after the match. “A lot of mental aspects also. We try different things because, a lot of times in Ranji Trophy games, when things are not happening in the middle for the bowlers, the game can become monotonous and dull. So, I want to keep the game alive. And when the game is alive, something happens. As a bowling unit, if we are able to purchase a wicket in those moments, it completely boosts the morale of the team and things change. So, I look at the game slightly differently. I don’t know whether it’s going to be a successful one.”
Mhatre’s introduction into the attack was the latest example of how Shardul stayed ahead in the game, but it wasn’t an isolated case. His handling of the bowlers, the way he communicates with them on the field, setting the right field, and the intelligent use of Musheer Khan’s left-arm spin, all point towards the fact that the Mumbai selectors made the right call in choosing Rahane’s successor.
As for the match, resuming on the overnight score of 94/7, Himachal stretched their innings to 187, thanks to Vaibhav Arora’s 51 off 61 balls. But Mumbai were still well ahead in the game and promptly enforced the follow-on. Apart from Mann’s half-century, the visitors barely had anything to show in their second innings. Shams Mulani, the left-arm spinner, returned figures of 5/37 from 15.1 overs, his third five-for in four matches.
“The kind of performances Shams is putting up, he will get his due,” said Shardul, calling the spin-bowling all-rounder a “match-winner”.
Brief scores: Mumbai 446 beat Himachal Pradesh 187 (Vaibhav Arora 51; Himanshu Singh 3/54) and 139 (Pukhraj Mann 65; Shams Mulani 5/37) by an innings and 120 runs
Points: Mumbai 7, Himachal Pradesh 0
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