PUNE, Feb 26: Mumbai won the Ranji Trophy for a record 41st time with a comprehensive innings and 21 run victory over Saurashtra on day three of the five-day final here today.
Not many would have predicted Mumbai to run away with the title in less than three days but their bowlers dismissed Saurashtra for 115 to cap off a dramatic day three.
The record Ranji Trophy champions got their hands on the trophy for the first time in three seasons and now they have 41 titles to their name in 45 finals with 10 of them being an innings victory. Karnataka are a distant second in the overall Ranji standings with eight titles.
It was a repeat of the 2012-13 final where Mumbai had made short work of Saurashtra with an innings and 125-run triumph.
Mumbai were mere 27 runs ahead of Saurashtra at the start of day three before they went on to make 371 in 82.2 overs from an overnight 262/8 in their first innings.
Saurashtra having managed 235 in their first innings, failed miserably with the bat in the second essay today, lasting 48.2 overs. Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur ran through the opposition batting, ending with five wickets for 26 runs in 13.2 overs to take his match tally to eight.
Saurashtra�s biggest name in the playing eleven, Cheteshwar Pujara, could not come to his team�s rescue and ended with scores of 4 and 27 in the all-important final.
Shreyas Iyer was deservingly named man of the match for his 117 in Mumbai�s only innings of the match. He ended the season as the leading run-getter with 1321 runs at 73.38 including four centuries and seven fifties.
�You can�t express this feeling at the moment, you always dream of winning the Ranji Trophy. All of us worked really hard for this, and it�s been amazing. Last season I scored 810, and this season I just decided I would break that mark. I surpassed that total and it got to 1300 runs and it�s an amazing feeling,� said Iyer.
Siddhesh Lad, who started the day on 22, ended up with a crucial 88 and took Mumbai to 371 from 268/9 with the help of number 11 Balwinder Sandhu (34 not out). Lad�s innings comprised eight fours and five sixes.
SCORECARD
Saurashtra 1st innings: 235 all out
Mumbai 1st innings: 371 all out
Saurashtra second innings: 115 all out AA Barot lbw b Sandhu 4, SD Jogiyani c Thakkar b Kulkarni 9, CA Pujara c Herwadkar b Thakur 27, AV Vasavada c Herwadkar b Sandhu 3, SP Jackson c Tare b Nayar 13, JN Shah c Tare b Thakur 17, CS Jan c Tare b Thakur 11, PN Mankad c Iqbal Abdulla b Kulkarni 1, DS Punia c Tare b Thakur 3, JD Unadkat not out 16, HR Rathod b Thakur 2; Extras (b 2, lb 6, w 1) 9. Total (all out; 48.2 overs) 115 (2.37 runs per over). Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-15, 3-24, 4-48, 5-67, 6-86, 7-91, 8-91, 9-102, 10-115. Bowling: DS Kulkarni 16-4-34-2, BS Sandhu 11-3-21-2, SN Thakur 13.2-1-26-5, AM Nayar 8-1-26-1. � PTI
