Ranji: Mumbai kickstart season with huge 309-run win over Baroda

Former champs Mumbai demolish hosts Baroda by massive 309 runs to begin Ranji season on a winning note

Vadodara: Domestic giants Mumbai began their 2019-2020 Ranji Trophy season on a winning note, as they thrashed Baroda by 309 runs in their Elite Group B game here on Thursday. Baroda set a stiff target of 533 runs and needed another 460 runs to win. The hosts were teetering at 74/3 when play resumed and needed to play out the whole day to settle for a draw and avoid an outright defeat. But Shams Mulani, who had shone with the bat in the first essay and also picked a fifer, ran through the Baroda line up, as the side was bundled out for 224.

Mulani ended with the figures of 4-72, as the 41-time domestic champions went for the kill. The left-arm spinner was ably supported by off-spinner Shashank Attarde (2-61) and medium pacer Akash Parkar (2-16), as Mumbai fetched six points from the lung-opener. For the hosts, Deepak Hooda (61; 8x4 and 1x6) and two-down Abimanyu Rajput (53; 7x4) tried to delay the inevitable by playing defiant knocks.

The duo conjured a 81-run stand for the fourth wicket and frustrated the Mumbai bowlers. However, Parkar broke the stand by trapping Rajput in front of the wicket. Mumbai then pegged back Baroda by removing skipper Krunal Pandya (11), experienced all-rounder Yusuf Pathan (14) and Bhargav Bhatt (0) in quick succession to leave them teetering at 7-197.

Shams Mulani

After offie Attarde removed Hooda, it was all over for Baroda and they were eventually bundled out for 224. Mumbai had made 431 and 409/4 declared in their two innings and folded up Baroda for 307 in their first essay. Pint-sized opener Prithvi Shaw had slammed a quick- fire 202 in the second innings and continued his purple patch.

The domestic giants have a lot of positives from the game and would be raring to go in the next round.

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