After the 41-time Ranji Trophy champions suffered a top-order collapse in the quarterfinal against Uttarakhand, Jaiswal anchored the innings with his first-class hundred.
Mumbai reached 260/5 on the first day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Uttar Pradesh with left-handed batter Yashasvi Jaiswal’s prudent century. After the 41-time Ranji Trophy champions experienced a top-order failure, Jaiswal, who scored his maiden first-class century against Uttarakhand in the quarterfinal, led the innings with confidence. Jaiswal was the star of the show as he smashed 15 fours in his 100 not out off 227 balls against a potent UP assault.
With Mumbai batting first, their in-form captain Prithvi Shaw (0) was out in the first over. He was Yash Dayal’s first victim of the day, caught by Priyam Garg, on the third ball of the day.
In the opening session, Uttar Pradesh’s bowlers were on top as they stuck to the fifth stump line. One-down Armaan Jaffer (10) was caught in front of the wickets by pacer Shivam Mavi, leaving the opposition in trouble at 24/2.
Then Jaiswal and Saved Parkar (32), who had achieved a maiden double hundred on their debut in the quarterfinals, combined 63 runs to save the team from the brink of defeat.
A four-wicket haul from Parkar was not enough to break Dayal’s stranglehold on the innings.
Mumbai’s third wicket fell for 87 as Parkar misjudged a Dayal wide delivery and handed a sitter to Saurabh Kumar at a backward point.
At the helm of Mumbai’s innings was Sarfaraz Khan (40), who is currently in the form of his life, and Jaiswal.
The pair’s 87-run partnership for the fourth wicket baffled the UP bowlers with a mixture of aggression and caution.
Sarfaraz, a right-handed batsman, was the first victim of Karan Sharma’s off-spin, despite hitting five fours.
Hardik Tamore (51 not out) proved to be Jaiswal’s savior after Sarfaraz had been dismissed.
As the replacement for Aditya Tare, the seasoned stumper, Tamore fulfilled the trust placed in him.
That first day belonged to Jaiswal, who was fired when he hit the three-figure threshold. Mumbai’s Karan Sharma claimed his second victim in the 233-man loss.
Shams Mulani (10 not out) and Tamore (six boundaries, one maximum) ensured that Mumbai did not lose any more wickets and stayed unbeaten when the final ball was bowled.
Two of the best bowlers for UP were Dayal (2/35) and Sharma (2/39).
Mumbai 260/5 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 100, Hardik Tamore 51 not out; Yash Dayal 2/35): Brief Scores.
