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Baroda bowlers helped the side to a 76-run first innings lead against defending champions Mumbai on day two of their Ranji Trophy opener at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara.
Resuming their innings at 241 for six, Baroda were able to stretch their total to 290, a remarkable recovery from 90 for five. Off-spinner Tanush Kotian took four wickets for Mumbai.
Defending champions Mumbai lost Prithvi Shaw early but Ayush Mathre (52 off 71) and Hardik Tamore (40 off 60) forged a 63-run stand for the second wicket.
At that time, Mumbai appeared to be in control, but a mix of poor shot selection and misfortune led to the rapid loss of three key wickets: Tamore, skipper Ajinkya Rahane (29 off 52), and Shreyas Iyer (0). Mumbai was eventually all out for 214 in 62.2 overs, just before stumps.
Baroda's bowlers played a pivotal role, with left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt taking 4 wickets for 53 runs, off-spinner Mahesh Pithiya claiming 2 for 55, and left-arm pacer Akash Singh contributing 3 for 19. This trio delivered timely breakthroughs, giving Baroda the upper hand in the match.
Bhatt’s first wicket came from a misplayed cross-batted shot by opener Mhatre, who was caught and bowled. Tamore fell to Pithiya, dismissed by a regulation bat and pad catch to Jyotsnil Singh at short leg. Rahane was looking solid until a freak catch at silly point saw him return to the dressing room, with the ball getting stuck between Jyotsnil’s thighs after being struck firmly.
Iyer's struggles continued as he failed to score, caught behind off Bhatt after edging an away-turning delivery. This followed a disappointing Duleep Trophy campaign where he failed to convert three 50s.
Akash Singh's lethal spell claimed two wickets, leaving Mumbai reeling at 185 for 8. Shardul Thakur (27 off 39) and Mohit Avasthi (14) showed some resistance, with Shardul counter-attacking effectively, including a six off Krunal Pandya. He was the last man out, caught at deep mid-wicket off Akash.
In Baroda's second innings, Raj Limbani opened alongside Jyotsnil for two overs, managing to survive the initial onslaught.
