Tanush Kotian’s career-best 8/81 powered Mumbai to a 10-wicket win over Haryana in the Ranji Trophy
Angkrish Raghuvanshi (67*) and Divyaansh Saxena (30*) chased down 97 in just 10.4 overs
Mumbai secured their third consecutive bonus-point win, taking their tally to seven points from the match
Tanush Kotian returned career-best figures of 8/81 as a rampant Mumbai cruised to a third consecutive bonus-point victory, crushing Haryana by 10 wickets in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match on Thursday.
Chasing a paltry target of 97, openers Angkrish Raghuvanshi (67 not out) and Divyaansh Saxena (30 not out) knocked off the required runs in a mere 10.4 overs to give Mumbai a total of seven points from the game.
Mumbai had earlier outplayed Chandigarh (home) and Himachal Pradesh (away), securing bonus-point wins in the first two rounds of the Ranji Trophy.
The 42-time Ranji Trophy winners consolidated their position on the top of the Group D table with 21 points in three matches.
The victory, however, did not come easily. On the final day, Haryana's stubborn eighth-wicket pair of Samant Jakhar (40) and Anuj Thakral (40 not out) made Mumbai's bowlers toil on a slowish surface.
Jakhar and Thakral dropped anchor to keep a persistent Mumbai attack at bay while adding 81 runs for the eighth wicket, before Kotian removed the former for the much-needed breakthrough, getting the ball through the gap between the bat and pad to clean him up.
“I was looking to bowl in good areas and the field set-up that I needed, I was specifically asking for it and bowling accordingly. I was able to create opportunities and was in a good rhythm,” Kotian told reporters after the match.
“In the last four years, we were all getting wickets together and this time I got the opportunity. The ball was coming out from my hand well and I was getting the wickets from one end,” he added.
Haryana, who had resumed on 73 for two and were behind by 87 runs, were eventually bowled out for 256 following-on in the second session on Thursday, setting Mumbai 97 runs to win.
Raghuvanshi completed his half-century off only 29 balls and eventually finished with 67 not out from 39 balls with seven fours and three sixes, while Saxena was on 30 not out from 25 balls with two fours and two sixes.
In Dehradun, visitors Rajasthan earned three points while Uttarakhand got one as their contest ended in a draw with no play taking place on the final day.
In Chandigarh, a resilient batting display from visitors Himachal Pradesh cut down the advantage enjoyed by the hosts after they had posted a massive 685 for five declared.
Himachal Pradesh produced another batting marathon, consuming 16 more overs than Chandigarh, facing 177 overs to reply with 559 for six. HP had resumed their innings on 340 for three on the final day.
Ankit Vasisht made 126 not out while Innesh Mahajan scored 121 at the top of the order. The two teams shared one point each.
Tamil Nadu had earlier beaten Railways.
Brief scores:
In Mumbai: Mumbai 430 & 97/0 in 10.4 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 67 not out) beat Haryana 270 & 256 (f/o) in 85.5 overs (Himanshu Rana 46, Nishant Sindhu 44; Tanush Kotian 8/81, Musheer Khan 2/75) by 10 wickets. Points: Mumbai 7, Haryana 0.
In Dehradun: Rajasthan 272 & 290/5 declared drew with Uttarakhand 194 & 38/0 in 9 overs. Points: Rajasthan 3, Uttarakhand 1.
In Chandigarh: Chandigarh 685/5 declared drew with Himachal Pradesh 559/6 in 171 overs (Innesh Mahajan 121, Shubham Arora 96, Pukhraj Mann 51, Vaibhav Kalta 82, Akash Vasisht 126 not out; Jagjit Singh 2/85). Points: Chandigarh 1, Himachal Pradesh 1.
