Mumbai: A brilliant partnership between Sachin Tendulkar (137) and Ajinkya Rahane (105*) took Mumbai to 344/4 at the end of the first day of the Ranji Trophy opener against Railways played at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Meanwhile in another Ranji opener, Indian Test team openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir failed to make any influence.
Sachin who was making a comeback to the Ranji circuit after a long gap looked in great touch and played an attacking innings. Sachin who opted for the match to prepare himself for the upcoming Test series against England couldn’t have asked for anything better.
Earlier in the day, Railways won the toss and put Mumbai to bat. Mumbai’s openers Kaustubh Pawar (24) and Aditya Tare (47) put up a good opening stand before Pawar got out to Anureet Singh. Mumbai lost Tare at the score of 100 and amazingly Rohit Sharma walked in to bat at number four, the position that Sachin has made its own no matter what team he plays for. Sharma got run out on 18 and in walked Sachin at number five.
He along with Ajinkya Rahane consolidated the innings, Sachin took his time and got his eyes in, Rahane at the other end completed his fifty.
Sachin raised the tempo when he was in his forties and hit the Railways bowlers to every part of the ground. He soon overtook Rahane and completed a marvelous hundred. He got his strike rate up to 100 and virtually played with the bowlers. Rahane also completed his ton, Sachin got out to Anureet in the dying overs of the day.
Brief Score:
Mumbai: 344/4 (Tendulkar 137, Rahane 137, Anureet 2-53)
Meanwhile, In another Ranji opener between Delhi and UP out of form Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir failed to put up a big score.
Delhi batting first got off to a slow start as both captain Sehwag and Gambhir started their innings cautiously. Sehwag who was looking a bit tentative throughout his innings eventually got out to Praveen Kumar on 25 caught-behind.
Soon Gambhir followed as he left a pretty straight delivery to be adjudged leg before wicket to Imtiyaz Ahmed on 32. Virat Kohli also could do much as he nicked a Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivery to Mohammad Kaif standing at first slip. He could only score 14 runs before getting out.
Delhi were struggling at 219/8 at tea.
By Indian Sports News Network