Mumbai, May 04: Tamil Nadu seamers - M R Srinivas, J Gokhulakrishnan and skipper S Suresh -- bowled a tight line and length to restrict former champions Mumbai to 259 for nine in their first innings on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy cricket final at the Wankhede Stadium here today. Mumbai skipper Paras Mhambrey won the toss and elected to bat first on a seamer friendly wicket but the decision backfired as the team's innings stuttered in the post-lunch session. Gokhulakrishnan, who was one of the two replacements for Tamil Nadu along with batsman S Badrinath, gave the visitors the much needed breakthrough after Mumbai openers Vinayak Mane (13) and Wasim Jaffer (83) put on 37 runs.


Mane, while trying to fend a rising delivery from Gokhulakrishnan gave an easy catch to wicketkeeper Raaju.

Jaffer along with Nishit Shetty, who was dropped twice even before he had reached 20, brought up the best partnership of the innings when they added 63 runs off 120 balls for the second wicket before left hander Shetty (21) chased an outswinger from Gokhulakrishnan and snicked it to Raaju.

Shetty was earlier dropped by Badrinath at silly point off office D Dandapani when on 18 and then after adding just a single to his individual score Dandapani dropped him at gully off Srinivas.

Meanwhile, Jaffer was gaining in confidence with every shot. He played some pleasing cover drives off both pace and spin bowlers and looked in fine nick. He flicked L Balaji and straight drove Srinivas to the boundary effortlessly.

Bureau Report