Mumbai reaches semifinals
Domestic heavyweights Mumbai registered a world record after beating Uttarakhand on the fourth day of Ranji trophy quarterfinal and stormed into the semifinals. Mumbai won by a 725 runs and scripted history by breaking the world record for highest margin of victory in the history of first-class cricket.
They broke New South Wales' 92-year-old Sheffield Shield record when they beat Queensland by 685 runs.
In the Ranji Trophy, the previous record for highest margin for victory was held by Bengal, who had defeated Odisha by 540 runs in 1953-54.
Earlier in another quarterfinal, Bengal had broken a 129-year-old one with all their nine batters scoring half-century in a single innings against Jharkhand.
Mumbai will now meet Uttar Pradesh in the semifinal of the prestigious domestic competition.
The 41-time Ranji Trophy champions, who dominated right from the first-day, declared their second innings at 261/3 and thus set Uttarakhand an improbable 794-run target.
They had piled up 647/8 declared in their first essay, riding on maiden double hundred from debutant Suved Parkar (252).
Uttarakhand who were bundled out for partly 114 in their first essay, once again capitulated in front of the Mumbai bowlers, as they were bundled out for just 69 in the second innings.
Mumbai bowlers led by experienced pacer Dhawal Kulkarni run riot. Kulkarni along with in-form left-arm spinner Shams Mulani and off-spinner Tanush Kotian grabbed three wickets apiece as none of the Uttarakhand batters showed any spine.
Kulkarni wreaked havoc as he first castled opener Kamal Singh and then trapped rival skipper Jay Bista in front of the wickets, with the opposition tottering at 1/2. He then cleaned up Robin Bist with a delivery that jagged backed in as Uttarakhand was starring at a huge defeat.
In-form Mulani, who had grabbed a fifer in the first innings, got into the act and ran through the middle-order. His victims included Kunal Chandela, Dikshanshu Negi and Mayank Mishra.
Wickets kept tumbling for the hill state even as Kotian dismissed three lower-order batters in quick succession and also grabbed the final wicket of Agrim Tiwari to cap off a historic win for his side.
For Uttarakhand, such was the collapse that only wicket-keeper Shivam Khurana and Chandela could reach the double-figure mark.
Parkar was adjudged as the player of the match.
(Inputs from PTI)
