Oct 09 : Rest of India takes their tally of Irani Cup wins to 20 as to Mumbai’s 16
The much favourites Rest of India team stood up to the expectations with comprehensively beating Ranji champions Mumbai by nine wickets, with full two sessions and one day still left, in the Irani Cup match played at the Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground in Rajkot on Tuesday.
Mumbai were at 98 for 6 and Rest of India completed the formalities in this match, by capturing four requisite wickets of their second innings in just 15 balls early morning and then finishing off the match by achieving a scanty target of 88 just before lunch on the fourth day to claim the Irani Trophy with nine wickets in their hand.
The bowlers did their work superbly in the morning, as Munaf Patel took two wickets to complete his five-wicket haul while Ishant Sharma picked up other two to give Mumbai a smell of their defeat. Later Parthiv Patel scored an unbeaten half-century along with skipper Mohd. Kaif 28 not out to complete the proceedings.
The Ranji champions have won the Irani Trophy 16 times thus far, as compared to ROI's 20 including this victory. A regular team certainly has an edge over an assembled squad. But this ROI squad has been together since the start of the Zimbabwe tour in July and recently performed incredibly well against the touring South Africa A team.
For Rest of India, Munaf did a terrific job in the second innings. He looked a totally changed bowler from the first innings, as he added much fire in his attack and moved the ball consistently in to the batsmen.
Mumbai let the game from their own hands on Monday evening after piling on 453 runs in the first innings. Having done all the hard work by pinning down ROI at 418 for 8. At that point, Mumbai team only needed the wickets of Munaf and Ranadeb Bose to gain a first-innings lead. But they did not attack the two and ended up conceding a lead of 19.
From thereon the depleted Mumbai Squad was never looking a combined unit, and their body language wasn’t looking as if they were playing to win the match. Their regular batsmen didn’t provide them the foundation they needed and the rampant Munaf Patel took the advantage ripping apart the Mumbai line-up guiding his team towards victory.
|
|
Comments:
