Baroda’s historic victory over Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy has sparked a wave of jubilation within the team and its supporters. The last time Baroda defeated Mumbai in this prestigious tournament was in 1998-99, a match that featured a remarkable nine-wicket haul by Yogendra Wakaskar.
Wakaskar, now a member of the senior selection panel, was present at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium on Monday morning, witnessing the triumph that brought back fond memories. He was joined by chief selector Prayan Dave and Umang Patel, who were equally thrilled with the team’s performance under the leadership of Krunal Pandya.
The celebrations extended to the Baroda dressing room, where head coach Mukund Parmar expressed his delight at being involved in his first win against Mumbai. Parmar, a former Gujarat stalwart, refrained from viewing the victory as revenge for last year’s quarterfinal exit in Mumbai.
“It’s not revenge and all. What’s past is past,” Parmar said. “It obviously gives a huge fillip to the confidence of the bunch to have started the season by beating the defending Ranji and Irani champion and the domestic giant in a convincing manner. Our skill-sets have never been in question. I am delighted with the manner in which the boys bounced back when put under pressure.”
Mumbai had opportunities to tighten their grip on the match in both of Baroda’s batting innings. Baroda managed to post a respectable 290 on a turner after being reduced to 90 for five in the first innings. In the second innings, they rallied from 41 for six to add 144 runs for the last four wickets, effectively taking the game away from Mumbai.
“We created opportunities but the 130-run partnership in the first innings (between Mitesh Patel and Atit Sheth) turned out to be decisive. Baroda obviously played better cricket than us overall. I just hope it’s a learning lesson for our spinners. I am confident we will continue to improve as a team,” said Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane.
Baroda’s victory is a testament to their resilience and determination. They have shown that they can compete with the best in Indian domestic cricket and will be a force to reckon with in the upcoming season.
