Mumbai were 10 without loss at close of play on Day 2 of their Super League Group A match against Tamil Nadu at the MCA Ground, at the Bandra-Kurla complex in Mumbai, on Wednesday.
Resuming at 251 for five, the visitors went on to post a formidable 501 in their first essay, the wicket offering no help for the bowlers.
Captain Subramaniam Badrinath, 123 not out overnight, went on to score a spectacular 250, almost half of his team's runs.
The 29-year-old's innings was studded with 20 hits to the fence and five huge ones over it. He was the last Tamil Nadu batsman to be dismissed, caught by Iqbal Abdullah off his own bowling.
The other significant contributor to the Tamil Nadu total was C Ganapathy.
Unbeaten on 70 overnight, he went on to complete a well-deserved century (126) as the Group A leaders did not lose a wicket in the day's first session.
After being 51 for 5 before lunch on the opening day, the visitors applied themselves well on a flat track and batted out for almost six sessions, to get into an advantageous position.
However, coach WV Raman played down the advantage.
"Our comeback from 51 for five suggests if the batsmen apply themselves, runs can be scored," he explained.
"So while bowling we should have no room for complacency. The bowlers have to lend some meaning to Badri's stupendous innings," he added.
Meanwhile, the defending champions, having seen the early advantage getting nullified, can at best hope for three points now -- on the basis of the first innings lead.
And if the proceedings of the first two days are any indicators, the wicket is going to helped them considerably in their endeavour.
Brief scores:
Tamil Nadu: S Badrinath 250, C Ganapathy 126; D Kulkarni 3-93, U Malvi 3-108.
Mumbai: 10-0
Irfan's all-round show guides Baroda to victory
Vadodara: Captain Irfan Pathan claimed four second innings wickets and then scored a blistering unbeaten 65 to lead Baroda to a seven-wicket victory over Saurashtra in their Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match.
Irfan (4/35) and his new ball colleague Firdaush Bhaja (4/42) shared eight wickets between them to skittle out Saurashtra for 137 in just 37.4 overs.
For Saurashtra, run-machine Cheteshwar Pujara hit a classy 104-ball 71, inclusive of 11 fours, but only three of his teammates got into double digits, the next best knock being 15.
Chasing 141 for victory, Baroda too fumbled, with Sandip Jobanputra dismissing Azhar Bilakhia (14) and Connor Williams (7), while Sandip Maniar got the better of Shatrunjay Gaekwad (15).
Irfan and Jacob Martin (36 not out) then completed the formalities as Baroda romped to 145 for three in 31.1 overs to win with full two days to spare.
Irfan's unbeaten 45-ball knock had six fours and a couple of sixes in it.
Brief scores:
Saurashtra: 127 (S Jogiyani 36; I Pathan 3-41, M Patel 5-48) & 124 (C Pujara 71; I Pathan 4-35, F Bhaja 4-42).
Baroda: 124 (J Odedra 5-28) & 145-3 (I Pathan 65 not out).
Awana wrecks Maharashtra
New Delhi: Parwinder Awana's five-wicket haul knocked the daylights out of Maharashtra's reply and brightened Delhi's prospects of an outright victory in the Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match.
Having restricted Delhi to 419 in their first innings, Maharashtra hoped for a fitting reply, but were bundled out for 163 in their first innings, with Awana wreaking havoc.
Following on, the visitors were 32 for one at stumps in their second essay, with Harshad Khadiwale (18) and Sangram Aditkar (0) in the middle.
Resuming the second day at 344 for four, Delhi survived another 20-odd overs before wilting for 419.
For Maharashtra, Samad Fallah (5/121) and his new ball colleague Jitendra Patil (4/113) shared nine wickets.
Mithun Manhas (170) could add just four runs to his overnight score before Fallah had him caught behind. Manhas's 253-ball knock had 20 fours in it.
With Falla and Patil breathing fire, the Delhi middle and lower order simply capitulated as the hosts lost their last six wickets for 70 runs.
Awana (5/40), however, ensured that Maharashtra's reply could never really take off.
Barring Ankit Bawne, who hit a 30-ball 27, inclusive of five fours, none of the visiting batsmen looked at ease against Awana's raw pace.
Brief scores:
Delhi: 419 (M Manhas 170, R Bhatia 99; S Fallah 5-121, J Patil 4-113).
Maharashtra: 163 (P Awana 5-40) & 32 for 1.
22 wickets fall, UP need 183 for victory
Kanpur: Wickets fell like nine pins, 22 of them on a dramatic second day. At close Uttar Pradesh needed another 183 to beat Bengal, with eight wickets in hand, in their Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match.
In reply to Bengal's first innings 193 all out, UP were shot out for just 62 from 24.1 overs, visiting pacer Ranadeb Bose (5/18) ripping apart the top and middle order.
Bengal were then bundled out for 104 in their second essay, and UP were set a target of 236 for victory.
At draw of stumps, the hosts were 53 for 2 with Shivakant Shukla batting on 18 and captain Mohd Kaif giving him company on one.
Earlier, Bose was twice on course for hat-trick. He first dismissed Shivakant Shukla (2) and Rohit Prakash Srivastava (0) in successive balls in the fifth over and then Parvinder Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0) in the 13th to reduce the home team to 15 for five.
Brief scores:
Bengal 193 (S Ganguly 66; P Chawla 4-52, P Kumar 3-54) & 104 (B Kumar 5-27)
Uttar Pradesh 62 (R Bose 5-18) & 53-2
Railways 305 all out; Hyderabad 99-2 on Day 2
Hyderabad: P Shashank Nag hit a patient 51 to take Hyderabad to 99 for two in reply to Railways' first innings 305 all out on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match.
Pacer Alfred Absolem took three more Railways wickets to complete a five-wicket haul for 89 runs.
Resuming at 211 for five, overnight batsmen Yere Goud (79) and M Suresh (64) added just 15 runs before the former was bowled by Absolem.
However, Suresh carried on and completed his half century, which was inclusive of seven fours, before he was also sent back by Absolem.
The 23-year-old pacer struck again, dismissing K V Sharma (27) to complete his five-wicket haul.
M A Khader then joined the party and dismissed Murali Kartik (4) and K Upadhyay (4) as Railways folded in 131 overs.
In reply, Hyderabad lost their first wicket in the form of Abhinav Kumar (4) when SR Saxena trapped him in front in the third over.
However, Nag (51) and Anirudh Singh (41 batting) steadied the ship with an 86-run stand before the former lost his wicket to the last ball of the day as Hyderabad ended up trailing by 206 runs with eight wickets in hand.
Brief scores:
Railways: 305 (M Suresh 64; A Absolem 5-89).
Hyderabad: 99-2 (Shashank Nag 51, Anirudh 41 batting; K Upadhyay 1/23).
Trivedi claims 4, Gujarat sight first innings lead
Surat: Siddharth Trivedi claimed four wickets to reduce Himachal Pradesh to 174 for eight, as Gujarat, having posted 234 in their first essay, remained on course for the first innings lead in the Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match.
Trivedi emerged the wrecker-in-chief as he ran through the Himachal top order, picking three wickets in his first three overs, removing openers Bhavin Thakkar (0), Hemant Dogra (1) and Sangram Singh (0), to leave the visitors struggling at seven for three in 4.4 overs.
Mehul Patel then got rid off Mukesh Sharma in the 15th over, while Trivedi picked the dangerous-looking Vinit Indulkar (49) as Himachal lost half their side at 102 by the 37th over.
Indulkar hit nine fours and was well-supported by Paras Dogra, who scored an unbeaten 65, studded with six fours and two sixes.
Earlier, resuming at 144 for five, Gujarat lost the remaining five wickets after adding just 90 runs.
Mukesh Sharma (3/16) and Ashok Thakur (2/74) scalped two wickets each, while Kuldeep Diwan (2/59) also tasted success.
Brief scores:
Gujarat: 234 (P Patel 57; V Malik 3-31).
Himachal Pradesh: 174-8 (P Dogra 65 not out, V Indulkar 49; S Trivedi 4-28)
Mohanty duo put Orissa on top
Chandigarh: Basanth Mohanty and Debasis Mohanty put Orissa in a commanding position, claiming seven wickets between them, to reduce Punjab to 144 for 8 on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match.
Resuming at the overnight score of 232 for 7, Orissa folded at 283 in 99 overs at the Sector 16 stadium.
Alok Chandra Sahu (58) completed a well-made half century, studded with seven fours, while for Punjab, Love Ablish, who picked a five-wicket haul on Tuesday, scalped one more today, and Manpreet Gony accounted for two.
In reply, Punjab were reduced to 77 for five in just 23 overs, courtesy Basanth Mohanty, who ripped through the top order, removing Vishwas Bhalla (0), Uday Kaul (8), Taruwar Kohli (20) and Pankaj Dharmani (5).
Former India pacer Debasis Mohanty then got into the act and moped the middle order, dismissing Sunny Sohal (0), Rahul Sharma (1) and Gony (24) as Punjab were left tottering at 114 for eight in 36.3 overs.
Opener Ravi Inder Singh top-scored with a 79-ball 46, which included seven hits to the fence.
When stumps were drawn, M Sidhana (32) and Gagandeep Singh (1) were at the crease, with Punjab still needing 139 runs to stop Orissa from taking the first innings lead.
Brief scores:
Orissa: 283 (N Behera 72, A Sahoo 58; L Ablish 6-110, M Gony 3-51).
Punjab: 144-8 (R Inder Singh 46; B Mohanty 4-44, D Mohanty 3-47)
