Two well-set batters missed out on individual hundreds but Mumbai reached a comfortable 317-3 at stumps against Puducherry on Day 1 of their Ranji Trophy Group ‘D’ encounter at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
Musheer Khan fell for 84 (102b, 11×4), while comeback man Akhil Herwadkar was dismissed for 86 (188b, 11×4). Their 119-run stand for the second wicket ought to have been much more if not for the error in judgement by opener Musheer. He edged an attempted cut shot off medium-pacer Sabhey Chadha to be caught at first slip by Paras Ratnaparkhe, losing out on a second consecutive century after his 112 against Himachal Pradesh last week.
Tough day for bowlers
It was a long and hard day’s work for the Puducherry bowlers as ‘Mr Consistent’ Siddhesh Lad (80 not out, 132b, 9×4, 1×6) continued his fine form. Sarfaraz (29 not out) has got himself into fine form, sharing 80 with Lad for the unbeaten fourth-wicket stand.
Herwadkar returned to the Mumbai XI for Ajinkya Rahane, who was unavailable. He was one of the three changes to the XI that won against Himachal. Off-spinning all-rounder Tanush Kotian and pacer Mohit Avasthi are the other two changes, replacing Himanshu Singh and Sylvester D’Souza, respectively.
Herwadkar, 31, last played for Mumbai in 2018-19. He also played one season for Chhattisgarh in 2021-22. His last first-class match was for Chhattisgarh in March 2022. On Sunday, it did not seem as if he missed first-class cricket ever in those three years and eight months.
Herwadkar said on Sunday: “I didn’t perform that well [for Mumbai]. Hence, I went to Chhattisgarh only to play matches. After going there realised how prestigious it was to play for Mumbai. The feeling you get to play for Mumbai, you don’t get for any other team. I came to Mumbai to play again for the team. It’s very difficult to come back to the Mumbai team, but I’m fortunate I got an opportunity.”
Herwadkar took 34 deliveries to score his first four. He admitted to being nervous.
“I was a little nervous playing for Mumbai after a long time. But the way Musheer was playing gave me confidence. I knew the more I stayed on the pitch, the more I’d get settled,” he said.
Joining Musheer in the 11th over after Ayush Mhatre edged Abin Mathew to wicketkeeper Sidhaant Aadhhathrao for a 34-ball 35 (4×4, 2×6), Herwadkar was patient in his approach.
Luck plays a role too
The left-hander had luck going his way too as he was dropped on 23 by Ratnaparkhe off off-spinner Jayant Yadav. On 26, he survived an appeal for a catch at slips off Yadav, but the umpire deemed the ball to be brushing his upper thigh. On 47, Herwadkar was caught at long leg by Chadha, but off a No Ball by Aman Khan.
But for these moments, Herwadkar used all his experience of 41 first-class matches in making his comeback count. However, when his eighth first-class hundred was in sight, he perished to rival captain Sagar Udeshi leg before, becoming the left-arm spinner’s 250th victim in 46 first-class matches.
Brief scores
Mumbai 317-3 (A Herwadkar 86, M Khan 84, S Lad 80*; A Mathew 1-63) vs Puducherry