Ranji Trophy: Thriller in the making as Krunal Pandya fifty helps Baroda lead by 226 runs vs Mumbai

Playing a captain’s hand, Indian allrounder Hardik Pandya’s brother Krunal Pandya scored a brilliant half-century (55, 144b, 7x4, 1x6) to stretch Baroda’s lead over Mumbai to 226 on Day Three of their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match, which is heading for a thrilling climax, at the Kotambi International Cricket Stadium in Vadodara.
With the wicket getting increasingly difficult to bat on, Pandya’s fighting knock, which helped Baroda recover from 41 for six to 150 for eight at tea in their second innings, may just have made the difference, as Mumbai will now have to dig deep into their reserves in the fourth innings to chase down the target. With the pitch aiding sharp turn from Day One, Mumbai’s batters will be tested to the core.
Rescuing Baroda from a precarious position of 41 for six in their second innings, Pandya added 62 in 143 balls for the seventh wicket with allrounder Atit Sheth (26, 57b, 2x4) and then 47 in in 94 balls with off-spinner Mahesh Pithiya (19 not out).
Earlier, buoyed by off-spinning allrounder Tanush Kotian’s triple strike in just seven balls, Mumbai came roaring back, reducing Baroda to 75 for six in the first session on Day Three. Kotian has thus followed his century in the previous match-the Irani Cup tie against Rest of India at Lucknow with an eight-wicket haul (4-71 & 4-38 so far) in the Ranji opener.
On a sunny Sunday morning, it was Shardul Thakur who provided the opening breakthrough when he had Baroda opener Jyotsnil Singh (10) caught behind by Hardik Tamore off a ball moving outside off-stump. Kotian then unleashed his magic, trapping nightwatchman Raj Limbani (3) and Shashwat Rawat (0) lbw in the sixth over. He then castled ‘keeper-bat Mitesh Patel, who scored 86 in the first innings, for just one, leaving Baroda tottering at 23 for four.
Seamer Mohit Avasthi then dismissed Shivalik Sharma (13), who was caught by Ayush Mhatre at gully while miscuing a pull. Making his first-class debut, tall off-spinner Himanshu Singh, much to his delight, scalped his maiden wicket at this level when he had Baroda vice-captain Vishnu Solanki (5) caught at leg slip by Prithvi Shaw in a bat-pad dismissal. Having slumped to 41 for six, Baroda were staring down the barrel, before skipper Krunal Pandya (25 not out, 63b, 3x4, 1x6) and allrounder Atit Sheth (9 not out, 36b), who scored a half-century in the first innings, defied the Mumbai bowlers for almost an hour before lunch with their unbeaten 34-run stand for the seventh wicket in 88 balls.