Ranji Trophy: Kotian, Mulani stage late fightback for Mumbai vs Haryana

KOLKATA: It’s a story Mumbai seem to be telling everyone too frequently this season. The top order is in disorder, the new ball is doing all the tricks and the lower order is rising to the challenge and rescuing the team.
There was no exception at the Eden Gardens on Saturday. The defending champions were staring down the barrel at 101 for six at lunch on Day I of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal clash against Haryana here on Saturday.

But Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian pulled them out of the woods, stitching together a 165-run eighth-wicket stand that saw them end the day at 278 for eight.
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Haryana got the perfect start when pacer Anshul Kamboj clean bowled opener Ayush Mhatre in the first ball of the match after Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and decided to bat first. The Eden wicket always provides some early movement for the bowlers and Haryana pacers Kamboj and Sumit Kumar took full advantage of that to strike hard. Akash Anand, a centurion in the last match, was next to go, shouldering arms to a Sumit delivery that cut back in sharply to crash into his off stump.
The experienced Siddhesh Lad was dismissed off the very next delivery as Kamboj got his second wicket when the batter inside edged one to his stumps.
Much was expected of Suryakumar Yadav, who made a fluent start, hitting two glorious fours through the offside. But he lasted just five balls as the India T20I skipper was clean bowled through his bat and pad off Sumit.
Shivam Dube also made a positive start with a boundary. The allrounder did not hesitate to play his shots, even hitting Anuj Thakral for the only six of the day. But the left-hander perished soon after, getting a thick edge off Ajit Chahal to be caught at gully by Yashvardhan Dalal for 28.
Kamboj struck again after coming in for his second spell, getting Mumbai’s dependable skipper Rahane caught behind for 31. The downslide continued after the lunch break as Shardul Thakur departed for 15 offering a simple return catch to Thakral. It was a tough start for Mulani and Kotian as the former survived an LBW appeal and a DRS call. Kotian was also beaten a few times outside the off-stump, but the two quickly settled down, helping Mumbai to get 101 runs in the second session at the cost of just one wicket to save the day.