On a surface that promised assistance for the bowlers early on, Sarfaraz Khan and Siddhesh Lad’s twin centuries stood tall as Mumbai wrested control from Hyderabad on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Thursday.
On a green-tinged surface, Hyderabad skipper Mohammed Siraj predictably opted to bowl. With swing and seam on offer, Mumbai’s openers Akhil Herwadkar (27, 21b, 4×4) and Akash Anand (35, 77b, 6×4) prioritised survival over strokeplay.
Progress was slow, with Mumbai touching 50 only in the 21st over. Rohit Rayudu then removed Akhil, who was deceived by an awkward bounce, with the ball sailing to P. Nitish Reddy at point.
Siraj struck soon after, with Akash edging to K. Himateja at gully. With just 18 minutes for lunch, Musheer Khan and Lad sensibly chose caution.
Debutant N. Nitin Sai Yadav trapped Musheer leg before just four balls into the afternoon, triggering animated celebrations. But the joy was short-lived.
Sarfaraz (142 batting, 164b, 11×4, 5×6) built on his rich white-ball form, seizing control with prolific strokeplay. Boundaries began to flow freely, with a towering six down the ground off Nitin standing out. He reached his half-century off 65 balls with a crisp cover drive off Siraj.
The 28-year-old brought up his 17th First Class century 64 balls later, with a muted celebration that belied the significance of the knock. Siraj would have had Lad (104, 179b, 10×4, 2×6) if not for a spill at slip from Nitish. The latter capitalised on the reprieve, raising his half-century off 94 deliveries.
As Sarfaraz grew increasingly fluent, gaps and misfields appeared with alarming regularity. Rotating the strike effortlessly and peppering the boundary with six fours and two sixes, Lad too ticked off a memorable hundred.
As the light faded, so too did Hyderabad’s early promise. Sarfaraz’s relentless control ensured Mumbai walked off with the initiative firmly in hand, leaving Hyderabad in urgent need of inspiration.
The scores: Mumbai – 1st innings: Akhil Herwadkar 27, Akash Anand 35, Musheer Khan 11, Siddhesh Lad 104, Sarfaraz Khan (batting) 142, Himanshu Singh (batting) 0; Extras (nb-5, b-4, lb-2, w-2): 13; Total (for four wkts. in 87 overs): 332.
Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-66, 3-82, 4-331.
Hyderabad bowling: Siraj 19-3-77-1, Milind 15-1-49-0, Rakshann 12-1-34-0, Rohit 21-3-66-2, Nitin 20-0-100-1.
