Ranji Trophy: Mumbai crush Himachal Pradesh by an innings and 120 runs

Mumbai, Nov 10 (PTI) Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani returned a five-wicket haul as a dominant Mumbai crushed Himachal Pradesh by an innings and 120 runs to notch up an outright win on the third day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group D contest here Monday.

After putting on board 446 in the first innings, Mumbai ran through a frail Himachal Pradesh batting line-up twice in as many days on a dusty BKC Ground track to record a comprehensive victory, their second of the season.

Himachal, bundled out for 187 in a poor first-innings show on a placid wicket earlier on day three, showed no significant improvement in the second, making 139 in which only Pukhraj Mann (65 off 109 balls, 9x4s) provided some resistance.

Resuming at a precarious 94 for 7 in the first innings, a brisk half-century from number 10 Vaibhav Arora (51 off 61 balls, 7x4s, 4x6s) gave HP some much-needed impetus, even as Nikhil Gangta (64 not out, 134 balls, 8x4s) held the other end strongly.

Arora used the long handle to a good effect and hammered powerful sixes down the ground, putting on 77 runs for the ninth wicket with Gangta, but that could not delay the inevitable as HP were bundled out for 187, conceding a huge 259-run lead.

Asked to follow-on, Himachal were again off to a poor start with Tushar Deshpande getting skipper Ankush Bains (0) caught behind and Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur trapping Siddhant Purohit (2) leg-before.

Himachal were soon reduced to 68/4 when Mulani struck twice to get rid of Ankit Kalsi (19) and Ekant Sen (7). The visitors found a dependable pair of Mann and Gangta who steadied the ship with a 44-run stand on either side of tea break.

However, Mumbai brought on Ayush Mhatre to roll over his arm in search of the breakthrough, and he had Mann caught by Ajinkya Rahane at the first slip for his maiden wicket in the 36th over.

Mulani expedited the end of the contest with final three wickets to complete another five-for here.

Brief Scores: Mumbai: 446 beat Himachal Pradesh 187 in 65.5 overs (Nikhil Gangta 64 not out, Vaibhav Arora 51; Himanshu Singh 3/54) & 139 in 49.1 overs (Pukhraj Mann 65; Shams Mulani 5/37, Musheer Khan 2/23) by an innings and 120 runs. PTI DDV AT AT