Sarfaraz hits unbeaten ton as Mumbai fight back against UP

Young Sarfaraz Khan hit an unbeaten century as Mumbai fought back on the third day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B game against Uttar Pradesh here on Tuesday.

UP had posted a mammoth 625/8 declared in their first essay, courtesy Upendra Yadavs unbeaten double hundred (203 not out).

Mumbai resumed the day on their overnight score of 20/2 and had a mountain to climb.

Thanks to herculean effort by 'crisis man' Siddhesh Lad (98 off 174 balls; 10x4x1x6), who lived up to his billing and 22-year-old Sarfaraz (132 not out off 160 balls; 14x4; 4x6), the duo gave Mumbai the confidence that UPs first- inning score could be overhauled.

 

Overnight batsmen Bhupen Lalwani (43 off 80 balls; 5x4) and Hardik Tamore (51 off 94 balls; 10x4) had an uphill task on hand of surviving the morning session against the experienced Ankit Rajpoot and Yash Dayal.

They negated the challenge well and stitched a crucial 75-run stand for the third wicket.

Hardik Tamore, playing his second first-class game, hit flurry of boundaries, as the hosts surged ahead.

The two respected the good balls, while hammered the loose ones.

However, pacer Wajid Ali gave the visitors the much needed break-through after he trapped Lalwani in front of the wicket as Mumbai lost their third wicket at 91.

Tamore then notched up his maiden first-class fifty by driving Ali through the covers for a four, but could not convert it into a big score.

Rajpoot broke through Tamore's defence to strike the middle-stump as Mumbai was 4-128, still behind by 497 runs.

Then Lad, who did not have a great season so far, and Sarfaraz joined hands as they conjured crucial 210-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Sarfaraz, who was playing against UP for the first time since returning to Mumbai from UP made the most of the opportunity which had come his way.

Lad and Sarfaraz took the UP bowlers to task and once again rallied the innings.

While Lad played his usual game, Sarfaraz was more aggressive in his approach as they shared an unbroken 115-run stand till tea.

Mumbai went to tea at 243/4, 382 runs behind.

After tea, the duo kept frustrating the opposition bowlers and kept the score-board ticking.

Lad got a life on 77 when Wajid dropped a hard chance on his own bowling.

Sarfaraz completed his second first-class hundred off 107 balls with a fluent on-drive off Saurabh Kumar and then he was going all guns blazing.

He hammered consecutive sixes off pacer Wajid Ali as Mumbai reduced the deficit.

Lad, however, missed his ninth first-class hundred, after he was caught by Yadav off slow-left arm bowler Mohammed Saif.

He was dismissed at the fag-end of the day, after batting with Sarfaraz for 215 minutes.

The domestic giants ended the day at 353/5, still adrift by 272 runs with Sarfaraz and Aditya Tare at the crease.

Whether the hosts take first-innings lead or not, will be decided on the final day on Thursday.

Brief Scores: Uttar Pradesh 625/8 declared v/s Mumbai 353/5 (Sarfaraz Khan 132 not out; Siddesh Lad 98; Ankit Rajpoot 3-63) Mumbai trailed by 272 runs.

At Dharamshala: Himachal Pradesh 496 v/s Baroda 150/2 (Vishnu Solanki 85 not out; Vaibhav Arora 1-42).

Baroda trailed by 346 runs.

At Indore: Saurashtra 344 and 165/2 (Harvik Desai 65 not out; Cheteshwar Pujara 64 not out; Avesh Khan 1-31) v/s Madhya Pradesh 280 (Venkatesh Iyer 75; Yash Dubey 74, Jaydev Unadkat 4-45).

Saurashtra lead by 229 runs.