Murali Kartik misses tryst with history

Murali Karthik ran a few points past the national selectors on Monday while sweeping Rest of India to a ten-wicket win over Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai, with a day to spare.

Rest, thus, retain the trophy they won last year in Bangalore.

Resuming this morning on 145 for five, Mumbai lost the remaining wickets without the semblance of a fight. Overnight not out Paras Mhambrey fell without any addition to the overnight score, giving Karthik his sixth successive wicket.

He then went on to take out the next three batsmen, before Sharandeep Singh spoilt what would have been a perfect 10 by claiming the final Mumbai wicket to fall.

Premangshu Chatterjee, Subhash Gupte, Pradeep Sunderam and Anil Kumble are the only Indians to have taken 10 wickets in an innings at the first class level. Karthik returned figures of 24-6-70-9 -- the best ever figures by any bowler in the history of the Irani Trophy competition.

Mumbai were bowled out for a paltry 184, setting RoI a target of 56 runs. Rest openers Sadagopan Ramesh with 24, and Test hopeful Shiv Sunder Das with 34, made the required runs without working up a sweat to seal the win, inside eight overs.

Scores:

Mumbai (1st Innings): 260

Rest of India (1st Innings): 389

Mumbai (2nd Innings): 184 (V Mane 37, W Jaffer 50, A Muzumdar 37; Murali Kartik 9 for 70)

Rest of India (2nd Innings): 58 for no loss (S S Das not out 34, S Ramesh not out 24).

Result: Rest of India won by ten wickets.

Mail Cricket Editor