In-form opener Abhimanyu Easwaran sent a timely reminder to the national selectors with his third successive hundred while holding the Rest of India innings together after Mumbai posted a mammoth first-innings score of 537 in the Irani Cup in Lucknow on Thursday.
Easwaran compiled an unbeaten 151 off 212 balls, and laced his innings with 12 fours and a six on the third day of the match at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Thanks to Easwaran's second Irani Cup hundred, RoI reached 289 for four in their first innings and reduced the deficit to 248 runs by stumps.
The 29-year-old Bengal cricketer, who finds himself in a three-way race with RoI teammates Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sai Sudharsan to book the slot in what could be a jumbo squad as India's reserve Test opener for the upcoming long tour of Australia, reached his century in 117 balls with a boundary off Mohit Avasthi.
This was Easwaran's third successive first-class hundred this season and came at a time when his team needed it the most, having lost skipper Gaikwad (9) cheaply.
Sudharsan got a start but could not capitalise on it, getting dismissed after making 32 in 79 balls with the help of nine boundaries.
Devdutt Padikkal, too, failed to make a contribution of note and was sent back by pacer Mohit Avasthi for a 31-ball 16.
Ishan Kishan, the next man in, also missed out on a great chance to impress the people who matter.
The flamboyant Kishan made 38 off 60 balls before being dismissed by Avasthi, which left RoI at 228 for four.
Easwaran was involved in three useful partnerships -- 87 runs for the second wicket with Sudharsan, a 70-run stand for the fourth wicket with Kishan and a 61-run association for the fifth wicket with wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who was batting on 30 off 41 balls at close of play.
Easwaran, who led the India B side in the Duleep Trophy last month, finished second on the run-scoring charts with 309 runs, including two hundreds.
This was Easwaran's fourth century of the season, which also includes a double ton against Bihar in the Ranji Trophy last February.
Even as he amasses runs in the domestic circuit, Easwaran's competition with his challengers will continue when they tour with the India A side to Australia later this month.
Easwaran has consistently been among the top run-getters for Bengal in the domestic circuit, and he enjoyed his breakthrough season in 2018-19 when he amassed over 800 runs in the Ranji Trophy at an average of 95 plus.
He was part of standby list during India's tour of Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2020-21 and also featured in the squad for the Test series against England in 2021 and 2022. However, the senior Bengal pro is yet to make his India debut.
Earlier in the day, Mumbai could add only one run to their overnight score of 536 for nine before getting bowled out, with double centurion Sarfaraz Khan remaining not out on a monumental 222.
Mukesh Kumar was the most successful bowler for RoI, returning figures of 5/110 after bowling 30 overs.
Brief Scores: Mumbai 1st Innings 537 all out in 141 overs (Sarfaraz Khan 222 not out, Ajinkya Rahane 97, Mukesh Kumar 5/110, Yash Dayal 2/89, Prasidh Krishna 2/102) vs Rest of India 1st innings 289/4 in 74 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 151 batting; Mohit Avasthi 2/66).
