TNCA XI tightened their grip on the Buchi Babu tournament, piling on the misery for Mumbai in the third round match at the Sri Ramakrishna College Cricket Ground. After dismissing Mumbai for a paltry 156 in the first innings, TNCA XI piled up a mammoth 286 in their second essay, leaving Mumbai with an improbable target of 510.
Mumbai’s batting woes continued in their second innings, as they stumbled to six for no loss at stumps on day three. The home team is now on the cusp of a semifinal berth, having virtually sealed three points from this match.
TNCA XI’s dominance began with their bowlers, led by Sai Kishore’s five-wicket haul. Mumbai captain Sarfaraz Khan, who missed the second day due to illness, returned to bat at No. 10 but was dismissed by Kishore along with Divyansh Saxena (70).
Undeterred, TNCA XI opted to bat again and established a solid opening partnership of 142 runs between S.R. Athish (57) and S. Lokeshwar (73). Despite a spirited fightback from Mumbai’s tweakers Shams Mulani (four for 73) and Tanush Kotian (five for 91), the damage had already been done in the first innings.
Suryakumar Yadav, who had bowled the final over before lunch, did not field in the later part of the innings after suffering a blow to his hand while fielding in the slips.
Mumbai’s hopes now rest on a miracle, as they need a win to secure a place in the next stage. The scores at the end of day three stand as follows:
TNCA XI 379 & 286 in 79.2 overs (Athish 57, Lokeshwar 73, Mokit 52, Mulani 4/73, Kotian 5/91) vs Mumbai 156 in 63.2 overs (Divyansh 70, Sai Kishore 5/36) & 6/0 in two overs.
