Ranji Trophy Live Score, Day 2 Semifinal 2024: Sai Kishore picks fifer vs Mumbai; Mantri, Solanki rebuild for MP

Shardul Thakur and Hardik Tamore have ensured that Mumbai take the lead against TN. But the way the pitch is behaving, it looks like the match will be done and dusted before the allocated five days. 

Himanshu Mantri remains unbeaten on 59 but has seen three partners return back to the pavillion in the first session. He has put up a 19-run stand Sagar Solanki till lunch and the duo will hope to keep Vidarbha at bay after the break. 

Amol: 125/7 at lunch. 21 runs behind TN’s first innings total. Intriguing session first up. And still a long way to go.

WICKET!! Vicious turn leads to Shams Mulani’s downfall. Was short and wide, Mulani set up to cut, but the ball turns sharply and dislodges the stumps behind him. Two in the over for TN! Fifer for the Sai Kishore!

WICKET!! Four for Sai Kishore!! Musheer departs for 55! Tried to prod forward and defend, is beaten by the turn and Jagadeesan effects a lightning stumping behind.

Musheer brings up his fifty!! A mature knock from the youngster to wade through some good bowling from TN. Mumbai trails by 41 runs.

Saini: WICKET!! The ball is starting to keep venomously low. Another such delivery brings the end for Venkatesh Iyer who is leg before off Yash Thakur. 

Saini: Fifty for Himanshu Mantri off 123 balls. He’s played the waiting game well and accumulated runs. Would want to make the most of his reprieve now with a big score. MP 92/3, trails by 78 runs.

Abhishek Saini: WICKET!! One wicket brings two. Umesh Yadav’s searing pace is too good for Shubham Sharma who sees the ball skid on and rearrange his stumps. MP 86/3.

WICKET!!! Sandeep Warrier gets the big wicket of Shreyas Iyer. Length ball moving in to the right hand batter. Shreyas has a waft at it with no feet movement. The movemet does him in and knocks off middle stump. Mumbai trails by 50 runs.

WICKET!! Third wicket for Sai Kishore! Gets Rahane to prod forward and defend. Gets it to turn and bounce. Catches the shoulder of the bat and the slip fielder jumps forward to complete a good catch. He’s out for 19. Shreyas in at 5. 

WICKET! Yash Thakur’s length ball stays low and traps Gawali im front. MP 81/2, 89 behind Vidarbha.

The Musheer-Rahane partnership swells to 33. The pair has survived a few LBW appeals and has been beaten outside the off stump on more than one occassion. Mumbai trails by 65 runs. 

Dropped! Karun Nair drops Himanshu Mantri at first slip. Length ball on the stumps, moving away from the left hander. Took the edge and flew to Karun’s left but he spills it. Umesh misses out on a wicket in his very first over.

Sai Kishore and Ajith Ram in tandem put a plug on the run scoring after Sandeep Warrier was taken for a few. Musheer has looked confident so far and has a calm head in Rahane for support. 

Mantri guides a back of a length ball through vacant third man to bring up the fifty for the team. First boundary of the morning with Yash Thakur and Aditya Wakhare keeping the run scoring down with some disciplined bowling. 

A four through mid wicket brings up the fifty for Mumbai in its first innings. Mumbai trails TN by 90 runs. 

Sai Kishore starts of proceedings on Day 2. Nightwatchman Mohit Avasthi is beaten on the outside edge with one that spun a tad. Fielders stationed close to prevent the easy singles. An umpire review for stumping. WICKET!! Quick work from Jagadeesan behind the stumps and Avasthi is a goner. Early breakthrough for TN.

Tushar Deshpande came on to bowl in the ninth over of the day and broke the back of the Tamil Nadu top-order with three crucial strikes to put Mumbai in command on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy semifinal.

“A good day. We wanted to bowl first, and what stood out was how we bowled in the right channels instead of going for individual strengths,” said Deshpande.

“It was important to bowl in the right areas rather than bowling haywire with higher speeds, and it paid rich dividends.”

- Dipak Ragav

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Ranji Trophy 2023-24 semifinals: Focus on line and length, rather than speed, paid dividends, says Tushar Deshpande

The 28-year-old pacer also spoke about how vital it is not to get swayed by the conditions where there is good bounce and carry in terms of finding the proper lengths.

The semifinal matches between TN and Mumbai as well as Vidarbha and MP will be streamed live on the Jio Cinema app and website. 

Welcome to Sportstar’s live coverage of the Ranji Trophy semifinals. Stay Tuned for all scores and updates from Day 2 of TN vs MUM and VID vs MP.