Unbeaten 165 by V V S Laxman

A captain's knock by V V S Laxman (165 not out) and his 201-run fourth wicket partnership with Mohammad Kaif (75) put Rest of India in command against Ranji champions Mumbai on the second day of the five-day season opener Irani Cup tie at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

At close of play, Rest were 299 for four, 39 runs ahead of Mumbai's first innings score of 260, with Laxman unbeaten on 165 and Jacob Martin batting on 25.

The day started with Rest in a bit of a bother at 23 for two. Murali Kartik, the nightwatchman, also did not last long. He added just six to his overnight score of 16 before edging one from Paras Mhambrey, for Sameer Dighe to gobble up behind the stumps.

Rest were 29 for three in the fifth over of the day when Kaif came in to join Laxman. The two proceded to put the Mumbai bowling to sword. Indeed, it was Laxman's day. The India discard would love to carry the Wankhede wicket with him where ever he goes, having scored a century and a half century in the Ranji final on it in April, and now this unbeaten 165.

Laxman and Kaif started sedately, picking up the singles and twos before despatching the Mumbai bowlers all over the place.

The supreme confidence with which Laxman played was matched by quiet authority by Kaif, both of them fighting for a place in the Indian team with the one-off Test against Bangladesh coming up early next month.

Laxman proved to be Mumbai's scourge once again as he opened out by lifting left arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni over mid-off for a boundary. He followed it up with a ferociuous pull to square leg off Santosh Saxena to reach his 50 in 94 balls, which included seven hits to the fence.

He then broke free, lofting Kulkarni into the straight field for a four, and then a few balls later followed it up with a an equisite cover drive for another boundary.

Kaif at the other end was content to play second fiddle to his captain, picking up the singles and twos and the odd boundary.

The Mumbai fielding also left a lot to be desired, with Laxman getting a reprive on 73 when he tried to drive a ball from Mhambrey to get a thick outside edge which was put down by Kulkarni, at second slip, diving to his right.

Kaif then got into the act after reaching his fifty in 144 balls, hitting Kulkarni for two consecutive boundaries, one a ferociuos pull off a short ball and then a superbly timed flick to the midwicket fence.

The Mumbai bowlers toiled without luck on a hot day with the wicket offering little help. Mumbai captain Sameer Dighe tried to switch his bowlers by giving them short spells but nothing seemed to work.

After Kaif and Laxman put on 201 runs for the fourth wicket, Kaif was done in by an armer from Pawar as he played back and the ball kept low to dislodge the bails at the stroke of tea. Kaif made 75 from 193 balls with 10 hits to the fence.

The next man in Jacob Martin rubbed salt into Mumbai's wounds by hitting Kulkarni to the extra cover fence. Mumbai's fielding woes continued as, soon after, Martin was dropped by Kulkarni off his own bowling.

The new ball taken in the 91st over did not have any effect on the rest batsmen as Laxman continued to make merry square, driving Mhambrey to the point boundary and then producing a cover drive, which raced to the fence off Saxena.

For Mumbai, Kulkarni bowled well in patches but the other bowlers could not have any impact at all on the batsmen. With Laxman looking set for a double century, the signs look ominous for the reigning Ranji champions as they look as if they will start their new season on a losing note.

Scoreboard

Mumbai (first innings): 260
Rest of India (first innings): (overnight23 for two)
S S Das c W Jaffer b P Mhambrey 0
S Ramesh c S Dighe b S Saxena 4
M Kartik c S Dighe b P Mhambrey 22
V V S Laxman batting 165
M Kaif b R Pawar 75
J Martin batting 25
Extras: (2b, 1lb, 5nb) 8
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-8, 3-29, 4-230
Bowling:
P Mhambrey 16-2-54-2
S Saxena 13-1-49-1
N Kulkarni 30-6-86-0
R Pawar 20-1-67-1 (5nb)
R Powar 15-2-37-0
N Shetty 2-1-3-0.

UNI

Mail Cricket Editor