Mumbai prolong HP agony

AHMEDABAD: Mumbai seamers bowled their hearts out but luck eluded them as Himachal Pradesh made merry on the third day of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal played here at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera.

On Sunday, butterfingered Mumbai fielders dropped as many as four catches. At stumps on the penultimate day, Himachal Pradesh in their second innings had garnered 200 for five, needing 45 more to make Wasim Jaffer and Co. bat again.

Dhaval Kulkarni, Mumbai’s leading wicket-taker this season, induced a nick from Sangram Singh, but Amol Muzumdar dropped a catch in the first slip.

The former Ranji champions got the first break when Vinayak Samant made no mistake and gracefully accepted Bhavin Thakkar’s catch off Ajit Agarkar. Thakkar made 4.

Jaffer tried to cash on the opportunity and deployed an attacking field. But Vinit Indulkar, who joined Sangram in the middle, had different ideas. They began the rescue act without taking any risks.

They were equally supported by the sloppy Mumbaikars.

Indulkar was dropped twice off pacer Abhishek Nayar. Sairaj Bahutule and Samant were the culprits.

The second-wicket partnership that garnered 57 runs was finally broken when offie Ramesh Powar got rid off Indulkar (24). Next man in Mukesh Sharma (8) didn’t last long.

It looked as if Himachal would collapse on the third day. But vice captain Paras Dogra stuck to his task.

Meanwhile, Sangram Singh completed his half century when he hit his seventh boundary of the innings.

Jaffer brought Agarkar in the last hour. Bowling with subtle variations, the lanky seamer trapped Sangram in front halting the 69-run stand between him and Dogra.

Agarkar should have had dismissed Dogra but Samant once again disappointed by putting one down on his leg side. Dogra was on 47.