On Day One of the Ranji Trophy match between Mumbai and Rajasthan at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Mumbai’s star-studded batting lineup suffered a dramatic collapse, eventually being bundled out for just 254. The only saving grace for Mumbai was a gritty half-century from opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 67 off 97 balls which was laced with 8 fours and a six on a pitch that offered no undue challenges to the batsmen.
Mumbai collapse despite Yashasvi Jaiswal's gritty fifty
Rajasthan's decision to bowl first initially backfired, as Mumbai's openers dominated the morning session. Jaiswal combined with Musheer Khan, who played a solid knock of 49 off 131 balls (3x4), to forge a strong 100-run opening partnership. Few would have predicted the subsequent collapse, where Mumbai inexplicably lost seven wickets for a mere 79 runs. The damage was done by the home side's bowling attack, particularly the pace of Ashok Sharma (3 for 76), who was playing only his second First-Class match, and the seasoned left-arm spinner Kukna Singh (4 for 66).
The Mumbai batting unit folded like a pack of cards in the post-lunch session. It took a stabilizing 42-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Shams Mulani and Himanshu Singh to help the visitors breach the 200-run mark before their innings came to a close.
Kukna Singh's four-fer leaves Mumbai in a spot of bother
Rajasthan’s bowlers effectively capitalised on the pitch conditions and Mumbai's poor shot selection. Fast bowler Ashok Sharma's strategy of bowling relentlessly stump-to-stump proved highly effective, directly leading to six Mumbai batsmen being caught behind by wicketkeeper Kunal Rathore. While Ashok engineered this turnaround for the home side, left-arm spinner Kukna Ajay Singh efficiently cleaned up the tail. Fellow fast bowlers Aniket Choudhary and Akash Singh each contributed a wicket, completing the demolition of Mumbai's innings. The hosts' strong bowling performance ensured that after Mumbai was bowled out for 254, the Rajasthan openers successfully saw out the remainder of the day without loss, concluding at 10 for no loss.
Mumbai's initial dominance had been built on opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s class and composure, while Musheer Khan held the fort with resilience. Jaiswal notched his 17th First-Class fifty and seemed poised for a much larger score before he fell to Aniket Choudhary while attempting a pull shot. The tide turned dramatically after the 100-run opening stand; from cruising at 100 for no loss, Mumbai quickly found themselves languishing at 156 for six. Notably, Musheer Khan had been handed a reprieve earlier when he was bowled by Ashok Sharma on what was called a no-ball, but he failed to capitalize on the second chance, falling one run short of what would have been a well-deserved fifty.