Openers Prithvi Shaw (71, 47b, 5x5, 7x6) and Ajinkya Rahane (31, 25b, 5x4) clicked for the first time in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to set up Mumbai’s convincing six-wicket win over Goa and help the side maintain a clean slate in Group C.
Shaw’s 95-run association with captain Rahane ensured Mumbai overhauled a moderate target without any fuss after an all-round bowling effort had restricted Goa to 140 for four.
In the first half of the league stage, neither Shaw — returning after recovering from the ankle injury he suffered in Australia — nor Rahane — in a desperate bid to revive his white-ball career for India — had been able to make meaningful contributions.
In fact, both had not even survived the first three overs in Mumbai’s three matches coming into Monday’s game.
They turned the tide in style against an attack that lacked penetration. The moment the diminutive Shaw pulverised swinger Krishna Das over cover and extra cover for sixes off consecutive balls in the fourth over, the signs were ominous.
He took on part-time leg-spinner Amit Verma, despatching him over the fence against the turn thrice in an over besides cutting him for a four through backward point.
Rahane found the gaps and swept left-arm spinner Darshan Misal at will.
Just when they were running away with the game, Rahane top-edged a flick off medium-pacer Vijesh Prabhudesai for Suyash Prabhudesai to complete a running catch at mid-wicket.
Shaw then swept Misal for a six over mid-wicket before mistiming another attempt to deep square-leg. In-form Shreyas Iyer and Siddhesh Lad then fell cheaply to prolong Goa’s defeat before Suryakumar Yadav and Aditya Tare completed the formalities in the penultimate over.
Earlier, after being put in to field, Mumbai’s bowlers put in yet another disciplined effort to not let Goa’s batsmen thrive.
Pacer Shardul Thakur was unlucky, with Shreyas and Rahane failing to latch on to difficult chances in the field.
Goa captain Amogh Desai started upping the ante, before Shreyas ran in from sweeper cover to end his innings off a mistimed drive off left-arm spinner Shams Mulani.
The other Goa batsmen failed to get on top of the Mumbai bowlers, with Suyash’s six and a four off the last two balls of the innings off Dhawal Kulkarni helping the team touch the 140-run mark.