Mumbai strike after topping 600

Mumbai amassed a mammoth first innings total of 602 for 6 declared and then took two early wickets before Hyderabad recovered on the second day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Division Group A match in Mumbai on Wednesday.

At stumps, Hyderabad were 82 for 2, still 520 runs behind Mumbai, with eight wickets in hand.

At the crease with an unfinished stand of 76 in 19.5 overs were opener T Suman (40 off 90 balls, inclusive of two sixes and three fours) and left-hander Anoop Pai, who quickly got into the groove to remain unbeaten on 35 off 59 balls, including eight fours.

The Mumbai total, their third highest against Hyderabad in the National Championship, was built around skipper Wasim Jaffer's marathon innings of 256 and his record 335-run stand for the second wicket with one-down Ajinkya Rahane (137).

Hyderabad snapped up five Mumbai wickets as the hosts slumped from the overnight 366 for 1 to 486 for 6, before Ajit Agarkar used the long handle to clout five sixes and two fours in a whirlwind, unbeaten knock of 77 in 112 balls.

Agarkar and Sairaj Bahutule, unconquered on 40 in two hours, took the Mumbai total past the 600 mark with an unfinished seventh-wicket stand of 116 runs in 33.5 overs before Jaffer applied closure 22 minutes before tea.

For Hyderabad medium pacer M P Arjun stole the bowling honours. He grabbed four wickets for 99 runs, taking three wickets for 32 runs in two spells lasting nine overs.

The visitors started their reply dismally, losing opener D Ravi Teja for a duck and one-down Rushi Raj (2) with only six runs on the board before Suman and Pai, who played attractive shots, steadied the rocking boat.

Hyderabad's hopes soared in the morning when Rahane was caught behind off Ashwin Yadav off the first ball he faced. He did not add to his overnight total and the home team's total had advanced by only seven runs.

Arjun, who utilized the second new ball, taken first thing in the morning, got rid off Amol Muzumdar (15), who was caught at square leg, to reduce the home team to 398 for three before Jaffer and Rohit Sharma, who slammed a quick-fire 39 in 44 balls, including two sixes and three fours, stemmed the rot.

The fourth-wicket pair strung together a partnership of 70 runs in only 14 overs before three wickets fell in a heap, including that of Jaffer, leaving Mumbai at 497 for 6 at lunch.

Jaffer was dismissed by left-arm spinner Lalith Mohan when the opener played a tired-looking shot and edged to 'keeper' Abhinav Kumar. In all, the India discard had batted for ten minutes over eight hours and struck two sixes and 25 fours.

His dismissal before lunch brought together an aggressive-looking Agarkar, who clouted spinners Mohan and Suman for five sixes with impunity, and Bahutule.

Agarkar treated the attack with disdain on an easy-paced pitch while Bahutule played second fiddle in their century stand that came to an end when the declaration was applied.

To the visitors' misfortune their captain, Arjun Yadav, was hit on the knee while fielding and limped off the field a few minutes before Mumbai declared.

Scorecard

Mumbai (1st innings): (overnight 366-1)
Vinayak Mane c Abhinav Kumar b Arjun 5
W Jaffer c Abhinav Kumar b Lalith Mohan 256
A Rahane c Abhinav Kumar b Ashwin Yadav 137
A Muzumdar c Quadri b Arjun 15
Rohit Sharma c T Suman b Arjun 39
R Powar c T Suman b Arjun 2
A Agarkar not out 77
S Bahutule not out 40
Extras: (b 5, lb 11 wb 11 nb 4) 31
Total: (for 6 wkts decl., in 151.4 overs) 602

Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-373, 3-398, 4-468, 5-472, 6-486

Bowling: Shoaib 9-1-36-0, Arjun 27-2-99-4, Ashwin Yadav 23.4-2-94-1, Lalith Mohan 45-2-180-1, Quadri 15-0-72-0, Suman 17-0-72-0, Teja 15-5-33-0.

Hyderabad (1st innings):
T Suman batting 40
D Ravi Teja c Rahane b Kulkarni 0
Rushi Raj c Samant b Kulkarni 2
A Pai batting 35
Extras: (b 1, wb 1, nb 3) 5
Total: (for two wkts, in 28 overs) 82

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-6

Bowling: Agarkar 4-1-4-0, Kulkarni 8-4-13-2, Malvi 6-2-26-0, Powar 7-0-27-0, Bahutule 2-0-11-0, Sharma 1-1-0-0.