Skipper Ajinkya Rahane concentrated onerous as his unbeaten 86 off 197 balls took Mumbai to 237 for 4 in opposition to Remainder of India on a weather-curtailed opening day of the Irani Cup. The veteran of 5000 plus runs in 85 Assessments, who isn’t on nationwide selectors’ radar, dug deep into his reservoirs of focus to maintain Mumbai on even keel in opposition to a powerful duo of Mukesh Kumar (3/60 in 14 overs) and Yash Dayal (1/46 in 15 overs). Shreyas Iyer (57 off 84 balls) and Sarfaraz Khan (54 batting, 88 balls) have been tad a extra adventurous in making an attempt to get a transfer on within the 68 overs of play attainable on Tuesday.
In reality, Rahane performed the second fiddle throughout his 102-run fourth wicket stand with Iyer after Mukesh had decreased them to 37 for 3 in his first spell.
At stumps, Rahane had the corporate of Sarfaraz and the duo had 98 runs for the fifth wicket and want to consolidate on the second day.
For somebody, who has 12 Check a whole bunch in his 40 first-class tons, Rahane wasn’t precisely very assertive throughout his keep on the wicket. He has to this point hit six fours and a six over long-off off left-arm spinner Manav Suthar’s bowling.
He did hit just a few crisp boundaries via off-side however general by no means appeared like on high of the ROI bowling.
In reality other than that six and a boundary, Suthar saved him quiet with solely 22 runs taken off 58 balls bowled by the Rajasthan spinner.
Towards Prasidh Krishna, he confronted 38 balls however managed to attain solely seven runs.
Whereas a century would do no hurt to his repute however Rahane, whose sensible management through the historic 2021 sequence win in Australia is part of Indian cricketing folklore, would want to dominate home assaults if he remotely harbours any hope of getting a nationwide recall.
In reality, Iyer was extra attacking in opposition to the lanky Karnataka speedster hitting him for 5 out of his half a dozen boundaries.
The 2 sixes — one every off pacer Mukesh and off-break bowler Saransh Jain — have been deal with to observe earlier than Dayal prised him out.
Sarfaraz took on Suthar and received three boundaries off the left-arm spinner.
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