Riding on a stellar lower-order batting effort and a four-wicket haul from left-arm spinner Shams Mulani, domestic cricket powerhouse Mumbai entered a record 48th Ranji Trophy final after thrashing Tamil Nadu by an innings and 70 runs at the Bandra Kurla Complex Ground in Mumbai on Monday.
Mumbai banked on counter-attacking knocks from the lower order batters – Shardul Thakur and Tanush Kotian to pile up 378 against Tamil Nadu’s first innings total of 146 before Mulani’s four-for helped them weather a stiff resistance from Baba Indrajith (70 off 105 balls) in the visitors’ second essay, to make it an emphatic win for the home side. Tamil Nadu were eventually bowled out for 162 runs in the second innings.
Resuming the day on 353 for 9, Mumbai ended their first innings at 378, with a healthy lead of 232. Tanush Kotian, who was unbeaten on 74 overnight, stretched the last-wicket partnership with Tushar Deshpande to 88. At one point, it looked like Kotian, No. 10, would complete his second hundred in as many matches. But Washington Sundar dismissed Deshpande to leave him stranded on 89.
Earlier on the second day, India international Shardul Thakur’s maiden first class century helped Mumbai recover from a precarious 106 for seven, after Tamil Nadu skipper Sai Kishore jolted the middle-order with his 10th five-wicket haul. Shardul slammed 109 off 105 deliveries and more importantly forged a 79-run stand with Kotian for the ninth wicket to help the home side take the lead before Kotian and Tushar took over.
In response, Tamil Nadu once again had a nightmarish start. Thakur began the demolition work with the wickets of N Jagadeesan and Sai Sudharsan cheaply. From the other end, Mohit Avasthi had Washington caught behind to make it 10 for 3. Baba put up a fight with the help of the middle order, hitting nine fours in his 70 before Avasthi sent him back, but no other TN batter crossed 25. When Kotian bowled R Sai Kishore at the stroke of tea, TN were 153 for 6. After the break, left-arm spinner Mulani ran through the lower order to pick up the remaining four wickets.
Thakur was named the Player of the Match for his hundred and four wickets in the semifinal.
The win propelled Mumbai’s (formerly Bombay) into a record-extending 48th Ranji Trophy final, having previously won the title for a record 41 times. Mumbai’s last appearance in the final was in the 2022-23 season where they lost to Madhya Pradesh.
The Ranji Trophy 2023-24 final will be played in Mumbai from March 10-14.