Siddhesh Lad and Sarfaraz Khan put Mumbai in command against Hyderabad
Mumbai rode on centuries by Siddhesh Lad and Sarfaraz Khan to post 332 for four against Hyderabad on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium
Hyderabad: It was a forgetful day for Hyderabad captain Mohd Siraj and his team as Mumbai, powered by brilliant centuries by captain Siddhesh Lad (104, 179b, 10×4, 2×6) and Sarfaraz Khan (142 batting, 164b, 11×4, 5×6), scored 332 for four at the close of play on the first day, after being put in to bat, in the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Thursday.
Despite the talk of a green-top wicket expected to pose serious problems to the batters, Hyderabad fast bowlers failed to produce the kind of performance that was expected.
In a way, credit should be given to the openers Akhil Herwadkar (27, 71b, 4×4) and Akash Anand (35, 77b, 6×4) for putting on 60 runs in 23.3 overs to weather the early morning blues, showing the desired blend of technical competence and aggression.
It was off-spinner Rohit Rayudu who struck the first blow, having Akhil caught at silly point in the 24th over, and then Siraj induced an edge from Akash to be caught in the slip cordon. Musheer Khan (11) never looked comfortable before left-arm spinner Nitin Sai Yadav trapped him lbw to make it 82 for three.
If Hyderabad entertained any big hopes of restricting Mumbai to a modest total, they were wiped out thanks to a mammoth stand for the fourth wicket, with Siddhesh and Sarfaraz capitalising on a shoddy fielding display, with quite a few catches dropped or fielders not alert enough to grab sharp chances. The worst sufferer was Siraj, whose frustration at the poor fielding effort was understandable, especially during his impressive second spell.
No doubt, Siddhesh, dropped by slip fielder Nitesh Reddy on 16 when he edged one that kicked up sharply off the off stump from Siraj, made full use of that slice of luck to play a brilliant innings.
With Sarfaraz at his usual free-stroking best, braving a finger injury that often caused him discomfort while handling the hard length from the pacers, Siddhesh opened up only after his partner reached his century.
It was a partnership that clearly exposed the inadequacies of the home team bowling under pressure.
Only in the final session did Hyderabad have something to cheer as Rayudu trapped Siddhesh lbw in the 86th over. But by then, the Mumbai skipper, with his fourth century of the season, had put the team in such a position from where it can dictate terms over the next few days.
The scores: 1st day: Mumbai 332/4 in 87 overs (Akash Anand 35, Siddhesh Lad 104, Sarfaraz Khan 142 batting, Rohit Rayudu 2/66) vs Hyderabad.
