Sarfaraz smashes ton as Mumbai dominates 2nd day

CHENNAI: Sarfaraz Khan smashed an aggressive 162 while lower-order batters Tanush Kotian and Mohit Avasthi struck half-centuries as Mumbai dominated Tamil Nadu on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Group B match in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Mumbai, which had reached 183 for six at stumps on the first day, added 298 runs to its overnight score and finished at 481 in its first innings. Thanks to No.5 Sarfaraz’s (162 off 220 balls, 19 fours, 1 six) century and useful contributions from Tanush (71 off 114 balls, 8 fours, 1 six) and Mohit (69 off 97 balls, 9 fours, 1 six), the home team secured a mammoth 337-run advantage at the end of the opening exchanges.

At close of play, Tamil Nadu stood at 62 for one, still behind by 275 runs. B Sai Sudharsan (16 batting) and Baba Aparajith (18 batting) were unbeaten in the middle after Narayan Jagadeesan (27) was sent back to the pavilion by pacer Tushar Deshpande (1/22).

Sarfaraz was the star of the day as he put Mumbai on top after the host looked shaky with the bat on the first day. He first stitched a 167-run partnership off 204 balls with Tanush for the seventh wicket and later added 60 runs with Mohit for the ninth wicket.

Pacer H Trilok Nag (3/110) finally managed to dismiss Sarfaraz in the 85th over, but Tamil Nadu’s misery did not end there. Mohit and Siddharth Raut (31 not out off 69 balls, 2 fours, 2 sixes) frustrated the southern side with a fantastic 92-run alliance for the final wicket.

For Tamil Nadu, whose chances of progressing to the knockouts now look slim, Trilok Nag and Aswin Crist (3/69) took three wickets each. When the Baba Indrajith-led team comes out to bat on Day Three, it will first look to avoid defeat.

BRIEF SCORES: Tamil Nadu 144 & 62/1 in 16 overs vs Mumbai 481 in 106.4 overs (Sarfaraz Khan 162, Tanush Kotian 71, Mohit Avasthi 69, Ajinkya Rahane 42, Aswin Crist 3/69, H Trilok Nag 3/110); Delhi 133 vs Saurashtra 503/6 in 135 overs (Arpit Vasavada 127*, Harvik Desai 107, Chirag Jani 75, Prerak Mankad 64, Samarth Vyas 54, Hrithik Shokeen 3/211)