Mumbai’s batting order faced a significant setback in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Karnataka, missing the vital presence of Sarfaraz Khan due to viral fever. The early loss of Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Musheer Khan, who managed just five and one run respectively, highlighted the fragility of the Mumbai lineup, quickly revealing their vulnerabilities against Karnataka’s skilled bowling attack.
In bowler-friendly conditions, Prasidh Krishna capitalized on Mumbai’s struggles, dismantling their middle-order and contributing to their all-out score of just 120 runs. Karnataka ended the day at 110 for 2, trailing by a mere 10 runs. Krishna’s remarkable figures of 3 for 21 came from a devastating spell of 5 overs, during which he claimed the wickets of Suryansh Shedge, Akash Anand, and Shams Mulani in consecutive deliveries post-lunch. His performance overshadowed the solid outings of his teammates Vidwath Kaverappa (3 for 38) and leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal (3 for 4), who effectively wrapped up the tail.
Despite expectations for him to open the bowling, Krishna entered the match as first change in the 11th over. “I did bowl with the new ball last game. Coming in one change this game, it’s just the way the team wanted to go about,” explained the 29-year-old pace bowler after play concluded. He acknowledged the pitch conditions, emphasizing the importance of the early breakthroughs from Kaverappa, who marked his 100th first-class wicket by dismissing Siddhesh Lad.
Among the struggles of the Mumbai side, 31-year-old opener Akhil Herwadkar stood firm, nearly carrying his bat through the innings. Despite facing numerous challenges and receiving a reprieve at 26, he emerged as the only significant contributor with a gritty 60 runs, ultimately falling lbw to Gopal.
Brief scores: Mumbai 120 (A Herwadkar 60; S Gopal 3-4, P Krishna 3-21, V Kaverappa 3-38) K’taka 110-2 (M Agarwal 58 not out; K Rahul 28; S Shedge 1-16)