Ranji Trophy: Shardul Thakur Helps Mumbai Restrict Punjab to a Paltry Total

Hosts Mumbai took early control of their Group B Ranji Trophy fixture against Punjab by bundling out the visitors for a meagre 154 in 57 overs on day one of the four-day game at the Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday. (Read more cricket stories here)

Medium pacers Shardul Thakur and Balwinder Singh Sandhu continued the good form they showed in the season opener for Mumbai against Andhra at Vizianagaram by sharing eight wickets between them as Punjab batsmen showed poor application on a track that assisted seam bowling.

The most experienced bowler in the 40-time champions' line-up, Dhawal Kulkarni, picked up a late wicket while one batsman were run out after Punjab were asked to take first strike by Mumbai skipper Aditya Tare on winning the toss.

In reply, Mumbai lost their openers Shrideep Mungela and Akhil Herwadkar cheaply.

But one-down Shreyas Iyer played an attacking, unbeaten knock of 61 off 43 balls with 10 fours and a six to take charge in the company of Suryakumar Yadav (16) and help the hosts finish at a healthy 103 for 2 in 18 overs.

Punjab started in an encouraging fashion when openers Manan Vohra (34) and Jivanjot Singh (11) kept the Mumbai bowlers at bay for 16 overs, adding 39 for the first wicket.

However, once Sandhu got the breakthrough with a one-handed return catch off Jivanjot, it was a virtual procession of batsmen to and fro from the dressing room to the batting crease.

Gitansh Khera, one of four batsmen who played a triple figure knock in Punjab's innings win over Railways in their group opener at home, made the second highest score of 32.

At lunch the visitors were 69 for 3 with skipper Yuvraj Singh at the crease but soon after the break he edged to his counterpart Tare behind the stumps off Sandhu.

There was a brief period of resistance when Khera and Sarbjeet Ladda added 33 runs for the eighth wicket before Mumbai polished off the innings.

Brief scores: Punjab 154 all out (Manan Vohra 34, Gitansh Khera 32; S Thakur 4 for 47, Balwinder Sandhu 4 for 31). Mumbai 103 for 2 (S Iyer not out 61, S Yadav not out 16).