28 December,2010 07:57 AM IST | | Harit N Joshi
Mumbai skipper Jaffer will not have to think too hard for the answer as his team was outplayed in every department by Rajasthan
Mumbai's loss to Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy will be remembered as one of the greatest upsets in Indian domestic cricket.
Rajasthan, who finished at the bottom of the Plate Division last season, outplayed defending champions Mumbai in all three departments to create history by entering a Ranji Trophy semi-final after 25 years at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium.
Though Mumbai's fate was decided on Sunday itself, yesterday was a mere formality to officially knock Mumbai out of the competition. Wasim Jaffer's men scored 290 for one in their inconsequential second innings where Sahil Kukreja scored an unbeaten 100 and Rohit Sharma hit 68. Ajinkya Rahane smashed a quickfire unbeaten 102 off only 69 deliveries with 12 boundaries and three sixes.
Rajasthan booked their semi-final berth on the basis of their huge 337-runs first innings lead and with it dented the image of the 39-time champions. It is the second time Mumbai has failed to make it to the semi-final since 2007-08 season.
"No doubt, Mumbai is a champion side and they need to play like champions. But, we cannot keep winning everytime.u00a0 One bad game and you are out. That's the exciting part of the knockout stage," former Mumbai coach Balwinder Singh Sandhu told MiD DAY yesterday.
"It doesn't really matter whether you are a Plate or Elite Division team. Rajasthan played better cricket than Mumbai and that is why we lost," added Sandhu.
However, the 1983 World Cup star credited Rajasthan skipper Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who scored a timely century (113) on Day Three, causing Mumbai's downfall.u00a0 "He has played a lot of cricket in Mumbai and he knows a lot about Mumbai players as well. So, may be that could be one aspect why Rajasthan outplayed Mumbai," said Sandhu.
