Ranji Trophy: Fight on for 1st innings lead after Saurashtra restrict Mumbai

Table toppers Saurashtra and former champions Mumbai were involved in a keen tussle for the first innings lead on day two of their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

Saurashtra bowled out Mumbai for 394 in the first innings in the morning and then replied with 213 for five wickets at close, still adrift of the home team's total by 181 runs after weathering an early collapse that saw them slumping to 37 for three.

Mumbai struck in the final over by picking up the prized wicket of Saurashtra's experienced batsman Sheldon Jackson, who was out five short of a well-deserved century after facing 144 balls in which he struck 8 fours and 3 sixes.

At stumps, Prerak Mankad (56 in 106 balls) was at the crease after putting on a stand of 107 runs for the fifth wicket with Jackson who was dismissed by Minad Manjrekar off the penultimate delivery of the 65th over.

Dias and Manjrekar have shared four wickets among themselves with all-rounder Dube picking up the other Saurashtra wicket to fall.

In the morning, Saurashtra captain Jaydev Unadkat and his new-ball partner Chetan Sakariya polished off the bottom half of the Mumbai first innings for 60 runs in 18 overs after Mumbai resumed at the overnight 334 for 5.

Unadkat summoned the second new ball straightaway in the morning and provided the important breakthrough by dismissing overnight unbeaten batsman Dube (39).

The Mumbai all-rounder had added just five to his last evening's score when he fell that broke the stubborn sixth wicket stand between him and skipper Siddesh Lad, not out 84 overnight, after the addition of 112 runs.

Sakariya took out Akash Parkar, while Unadkat got rid of Tanush Kotian in successive overs to leave Mumbai at 362 for 8.

Lad completed his well-deserved century but was ninth out for 108, falling to Sakariya, after facing 146 balls and hitting 1 six and 16 fours.

Unadkat trapped last man Manjrekar LBW to terminate the Mumbai innings with Roystan Dias unbeaten on 20.

Unadkat grabbed 4 for 71, while fellow left-arm pacer Sakariya and left-arm spinner Dharmendra Jadeja picked up three apiece.

Dias, with his left-arm medium pace, then brought cheers to the Mumbai ranks by striking twice in successive overs to pack off Saurashtra opener Harvik Desai and no. 3 Vishvaraj Jadeja.

Another medium pacer Manjrekar picked up a fine return catch to dismiss Snell Patel to leave the visitors tottering at 37 for three.

Saurashtra's mainstay Jackson and Arpit Vasavada (20) stemmed the rot with a stand of 69 when the latter chased a wide ball from Dube and nicked to keeper Aditya Tare.

Jackson, playing fluently till he was hampered by hamstring trouble, and Prerak Mankad, who has hit 10 fours, held the Mumbai hopes at bay with a stubborn partnership till the former departed in the last over to provide Mumbai a shot in the arm going into Day 3 of the four-day match.

Meanwhile at Shimoga, hosts Karnataka secured crucial first innings lead as they bundled out Railways for 143 in the first innings.

Karnataka were 41/0 in the second innings as their overall lead stood at 112 runs at the close of play.

At Raipur, Chhattisgarh took the first innings lead with Amandeep Khare (108) and Ajay Mandal (106 not out) hitting centuries.

The duo not only pulled the home team out of trouble but also ensured that they went past Maharashtra's first innings total of 239.

At Nagpur, for hosts Vidarbha, veteran Wasim Jaffer slammed 125 as they ended the second day at 238/3 against Gujarat, still adrift by 83 runs.

Brief scores: Mumbai 394 (Jay Bista 127, Vikrant Auti 57, Siddesh Lad 108, Shivam Dube 39; J Unadkat 4 for 71, C Sakariya 3 for 86, D Jadeja 3 for 95) versus Saurashtra 213 for 5 (Sheldon Jackson 95, Prerak Mankad not out 56; Roystan Dias 2 for 32, Minad Manjrekar 2 for 46).

At Raipur: Maharashtra 239 (Rahul Tripathi 102, Anupam Sanklecha 66, Vishal Singh 4-59) versus Chhattisgarh 332/5 (Amandeep Khare 108, Ajay Mandal 106 not out, Anupam Sanklecha 4-55).

At Shimoga: Karnataka 214 and 41/0 (Dega Nischal 25 not out, D Padikkal 11 not out) versus Railways 143 (Manish Rao 52 not out, Prashant Gupta 35, Ronit More 5-45).

At Nagpur: Gujarat 321 (Kathan Patel 105, Dhruv Raval 79, Karan Patel 55, A A Sarvate 4-71) versus Vidarbha 238/3 (Wasim Jaffer 126, Faiz Fazal 46, S A Desai 2-71).