Below-par batting hurt Bengal as Mumbai gave them an eight-wicket thrashing in their Vijay Hazare Trophy opener at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi on Saturday.
Put into bat, Bengal were in trouble right from the outset and eventually got bowled out for a paltry 121 in the 32nd over. Barring senior pro Manoj Tiwary (47), none of the other specialist batters could put up any resistance before Mumbai’s disciplined bowling.
Spinner Writtick Chatterjee, promoted to open, scored just a single while captain Abhimanyu Easwaran and No.3 Anustup Majumdar managed just 12 and 9, respectively. Off-spinner Tanush Kotian (4/31) was the pick of the Mumbai bowlers.
In reply, Mumbai lost their openers Prithvi Shaw and Yashasvi Jaiswal with just 47 on the board in the 14th over with pacer Mukesh Kumar dismissing both of them. But Ajinkya Rahane played a captain’s knock, hitting an unbeaten 59 off 72 balls that comprised six boundaries and a couple of maximums as Mumbai cruised home with 118 balls remaining.
Bengal may have to play the entire tournament without their key quick Akash Deep, who has sustained a right shoulder injury and is currently at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.
Brief scores: Bengal 121 in 31.3 ovs (M. Tiwary 47; T. Kotian 4/31). Mumbai 123/2 in 30.2 ovs (A. Rahane 59 n.o.; M. Kumar 2/20). Mumbai won by 8 wickets.
