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Ranji Trophy, Super League, 2008-09

Chandan

By Chandan
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cowboysfan Grand Master

cowboysfan

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what a joke...Kaif out because of crap umpiring. Big Teams always get the decisions. This is meant to be a final, they couldnt even get some decent umpires for it. if it was rohit sharma, jaffer or SRT batting, i bet the umpire would have said not out striaght away.
decent umpires?-these 2 guldus are the best india have to offer.what a shame.
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Chandan Newbie

Chandan

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Final, Day 2 Mumbai v Uttar Pradesh, Hyderabad, 2nd day Zaheer's all-round show gives Mumbai the advantage January 13, 2009 Uttar Pradesh 91 for 3 (Shukla 46*, Zaheer 2-11) trail Mumbai 402 (Rohit 141, Nayar 99, Bhuvneshwar 5-78, RP 3-100) by 311 runs Scorecard and ball-by-ball details How they were out 386351.jpgZaheer Khan was too much for a circumspect UP© Cricinfo Ltd Uttar Pradesh paid for their own fielding errors, and a crucial umpiring one just before stumps as Mumbai gained the upper hand on the second day. After letting Mumbai get past 400 through buttered fingers and then losing two quick wickets, UP started the long journey towards recovery through a circumspect Shivakant Shukla and Mohammad Kaif. But with 3.4 overs to go Zaheer Khan bowled a superb reverse-swinging delivery, which fooled the batsman and umpire too. It wasn't a real shocker, though: Zaheer bowled from round the stumps, got the ball to straighten, and the bat hit the pad as the ball passed Kaif. There was deviation, there was a sound, and it was a forgiveable error. But it became a crucial decision, in that UP had come back from 6 for 2 to 91 and Mumbai hadn't taken a wicket for 40 overs. But for that final drama, the second day of the Ranji Trophy final was not one for attractive cricket: first Rohit Sharma edged and nudged his way to 28 more runs, then UP missed catches and run-outs to let the tenth wicket frustrate them, before Shukla and Kaif settled on mere survival after the early blows. Only 196 were scored through the day, and UP played out 24 maidens in their 47 overs. After the many chances UP had accorded Rohit yesterday, they turned their generosity towards Zaheer and Dhawal Kulkarni today. In all they dropped four catches, and missed one stumping and two run-outs. UP may have had a tough time surviving the middle session, but they should have been batting much earlier. In the morning, they finally got Rohit's wicket after several indiscretions from the batsman had gone unpunished. Kaif's moves in the field worked too, as Praveen Gupta, the left-arm spinner, struck twice in his second over of the day. But once again, when it seemed the balance in the match would be restored, wicketkeeper Amir Khan dropped No. 11 Kulkarni, and the familiar story continued. Rohit's was an excruciating innings: he survived many close calls, but still managed the shots of a man in prime form. He edged thrice, and played and missed twice in the first six overs of the day, but finally fell to the spin of Gupta, who was brought on fairly early, when the second new ball was 23 overs old. Rohit leapt out of the crease, ended up too far from the pitch of the ball, and lobbed the heave to point. The next three wickets came quickly, and Mumbai should have been bowled out for 363 but for the reprieve by Amir. Zaheer punished them after that, and got out finally in the first over after lunch. Not before UP had missed another run-out and a catch, and the umpire an edge. UP's unorthodox field placings had hurt them too, and when their turn to bat came they lost their first two wickets in an unusual manner. Tanmay Srivastava, their highest run-getter this season, looked to leave a wide bouncer from Zaheer Khan, but acted too late and got the toe of the bat almost after the ball had passed him. Suresh Raina, keen to get off the mark first ball, went for a quick single after playing the ball off the back foot towards cover. Raina was slow off the blocks and dived to save himself, but the bat was in the air when Sairaj Bahutule's throw hit the stumps. Zaheer, assisted by Kulkarni, then gave Shukla and Kaif a stern examination. Scoring was not high on their priority as Zaheer kept them occupied with very existential doubts. The first seven overs yielded just seven runs, and six of them in the first over by Srivastava. In the next, Kaif edged Kulkarni twice, once to fine leg and then between third slip and gully. After those scares, Kaif recovered to strike two cover-driven boundaries off Kulkarni and Agarkar. Till moments before tea, Mumbai had been all that UP weren't in the field: alert, safe, orthodox and managing direct hits. But four minutes from the break, Ajinkya Rahane missed a sharp chance from Shukla at gully. Shukla was 18 then, and ended the day unbeaten. Zaheer tested him with short ones, and though he looked uncomfortable, he hung on. When Agarkar came on he finally got an easy scoring opportunity, on-driving for his first four. Once Zaheer and Kulkarni were done with their first spells, batting got easier, but the run-flow didn't increase. Kaif, in particular, went ultra-defensive, although he was solid at that. At one point after tea, he had scored only one run off 38 balls. Shukla, from the other end, continued in much the same flow as his unbeaten 821-minute 178 in the semi-final. Nothing was tempting enough for him, and he looked in no hurry. The final test came with a four-over spell of high-quality revere-swing from Zaheer, which was also the most exciting part of the day. In this last spell, Zaheer bowled all maidens, came close to getting Shukla, and got Kaif. Just as in the final two years ago, Zaheer promised to be the difference between the winners and runners-up. Another POV UP slow... unsteady, but Shivakant Shukla holds fort for Uttar Pradesh V.V. Subrahmanyam Mumbai lower order helps the team make 402 in the first innings 2009011457542101.jpgIN THE THICK OF ACTION: Zaheer Khan (third from left) played a cameo with the bat and then bowled a superb spell on day two of the Ranji final. . HYDERABAD: Having allowed Mumbai to amass 402 runs in their first innings, Uttar Pradesh lost early wickets to be left struggling at 91 for three at close on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Cricket final in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Resuming at the overnight score of 297 for six, Mumbai capitalised on Uttar Pradesh's fielding lapses as they scored 105 more runs before the innings folded up and then pace spearhead Zaheer Khan sparkled with two wickets to put the opposition on the back foot. Uttar Pradesh dropped as many as four catches and missed one stumping and two run-outs to allow Mumbai to gain the upper hand. Forgetful final for Rahane It has been a forgetful Ranji Trophy final thus far for Mumbai’s Ajinkya Rahane, the second highest run-getter in the tournament this season after his captain Wasim Jaffer. He failed with the bat on day one and then on Tuesday he dropped a difficult chance offered by the Uttar Pradesh opener Shivakant Shukla. Rahane failed to latch on to the sharp chance at backward point off Ajit Agarkar when Shivakant flashed outside the off-stump. Could prove costly Shivakant was on 18 then and the team score read 48 for two. The lapse could prove costly given the reputation Shivakant has earned after his epic effort against Tamil Nadu in the semifinal. Uttar Pradesh did not mind consuming time even if runs came at a snail's pace. They had no option but to safeguard their wickets. Having allowed Mumbai to add 104 to their overnight 297 for six rather than polishing off the tail early, UP's prime objective was to build partnerships. With the pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers, UP's semifinal hero Shivakant Shukla and his captain Mohammad Kaif played in a relaxed manner, happy to take runs through the open spaces and interspersing attacking shots with defensive play. Uttar Pradesh scored at a rate of 1.9 runs an over that put to sleep many at the stadium, and at 91 for three in 47 overs, still trail by 311 with three days remaining. The fortunes now inevitably revolve around the class of Shivakant, who in the company of Kaif added 85 runs for the third wicket, to rescue U.P. which had lost two wickets with just six runs on the board. Shivakant (46 batting, 136b, 7x4) was joined by Parvinder Singh towards the close, the pair which scripted a magnificent comeback against Tamil Nadu in the semifinal. Bad start It was a dismal start for Uttar Pradesh. First, opener Tanmay Srivastava was caught behind, trying to take evasive action, off a lifting delivery from Zaheer Khan. Then, southpaw Suresh Raina was unnecessarily run out trying to take a sharp single off the very first ball he faced. Sairaj Bahutule swiftly ran in from mid-off to rattle the stumps with a direct hit to the bowler’s end. Though Raina dived full-length, the bat was in the air and he was ruled out by the third umpire. At close, Uttar Pradesh were trailing by 311 runs with seven wickets remaining in the five-day match being played at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium at Uppal. Opener Shivakant Shukla was batting on 46 and Parvinder Singh was yet to open his account. UP team was reeling at 6 for two in less than three overs of the start of their innings with Zaheer removing opener Tanmay Srivastava by getting him caught behind by Samant in the fourth ball of the third over. From 6 for 2 in the third over, Shukla and Kaif stayed put, not giving in to the star-studded Mumbai attack. Kaif was shaky initially, getting inside and outside edges to Dhawal Kulkarni, Mumbai most successful bowler this season with 37 sticks. However, once he gained confidence with a cover-driven boundary off Kulkarni, there was no stopping him and Shukla. The lack of assistance from the pitch had made the Mumbai bowlers including Zaheer look pretty ordinary. The other opener Shivakant Shukla, however, played cautiously and seemed like repeating his semi-final performance, which helped UP secure the final berth. Skipper Mohammad Kaif, who came out at number four, gave some stability to the innings but left the field after nicking a Zaheer Khan delivery in the 44th over. Kaif's 33 came off 129 balls with the help of five hits to the fence and a towering six. Kaif stitched a 85-run partnership with Shukla. Earlier, Mumbai resumed at oevrnight score of 297 for 6 with centurion Rohit Sharma (141) adding 28 to his overnight 113. Rohit appeared to be blessed as he survived many close calls. Left-arm spinner Praveen Gupta struck twice in his second over of the day. He scalped Rohit when the Mumbai batsman came down the track to attempt a delivery outside the off stump and was caught by Parwinder at point. Within space of three balls, Gupta also sent Ramesh Powar back to the pavilion. But Ajit Agarkar (47) gave the UP team a tough time as he approached a half century before he was caught and bowled by RP singh. Earlier, Rohit Sharma (141, 258b, 21x4) looked good to carry on before he charged left-arm spinner Praveen Gupta only to see the leading edge ballooning to point. Ramesh Powar hit the next ball straight to mid-on. Mumbai still managed to cross the 400-mark, thanks to U.P. wicketkeeper Mohd. Amir Khan who dropped a regulation catch after R.P. Singh squared up Zaheer when he was on five and Mumbai on 363 for nine. The last man out Zaheer was given a reprieve when Mumbai were 363 and he did not let go the opportunity as he went on to add 33 runs before falling in the first over after lunch. Kaif feels game still wide open Mohd. Kaif said he was disappointed with the umpire’s decision (adjudged caught behind off Zaheer Khan) but still believes that the game is wide open. Speaking to the media after the second day’s play, Kaif said that he was disappointed because that was the phase when he and Shivakant Shukla were building up a big stand. “But these things do happen and are part of the game. For us the focus shifts to tomorrow (Wednesday) and I feel that it is not just the case of one session being important. The whole day is crucial for us,” he said. Wicket looks good Kaif said that he was hoping for a close finish even at this stage as the wicket looked good and that it would not be a nasty turner but only get lower and slower. “I hope the youngsters will respond to the occasion as well as they did in the semifinal,” he added. The U.P. captain also felt that Shivakant had more clarity about his role in the team as a batsman after his brilliant display against Tamil Nadu in the semifinal. “There are still three days to go in the match. We just need one good stand. Definitely, you cannot have a completely good match. You are bound to be on top one day and down the other day,” Kaif said. Mumbai coach Pravin Amre also believed that it was still a long way to go and the match still wide open. “It is obviously important to get the breakthroughs in the morning session and we are really pleased with the way Zaheer bowled today (Tuesday),” he said. “We are aware of the fact that both Shivakant and Parvinder Singh, who are at the crease, did so well in the semifinal. But this pitch is not that easy to bat on and we will look to dismiss them as early as possible,” the Mumbai coach said. Amre also felt that inconsistent umpiring was a factor for both the teams. “I am sure the BCCI would address the issue. But, it is a fact that we need to have quality umpires,” he said.

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fineleg Rookie

fineleg

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marginal deczn for shukla Khan to Shukla, OUT, gone! Given on 99! Was he out though? That nipped back in sharply from a good length on the off stump and struck Shukla high on the pads as he tried to defend it off the front foot. The fielders went up immediately and the umpire Tarapore had no hesitation there. Shukla perhaps a touch unlucky there as replays indicated the ball may have gone over the stumps as it struck the pad flap. A marginal decision, but the umpire was convinced

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