Jaffer makes merry as Saurashtra flounders

STANDING TALL: Wasim Jaffer assumed centre-stage on a good batting pitch at Chepauk on Sunday with his unbeaten century

Chennai: Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer assumed centre-stage on a good batting pitch at Chepauk as his team progressed to a dominant 268 for one on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Saurashtra.

The Sunday began and finished well for Jaffer. He first won the toss and was unbeaten on 162 (275b, 19x4) at stumps. Standing tall to whip the ball past square-leg, the grace and the flow in his batting are unmistakable. Here, footwork combines with dexterous wrists as the gaps are found and pierced.

Jaffer and the young Ajinkya Rahane (52 batting, 154b, 2x4, 1x6) have so far added 177 runs for the second wicket in 55 overs. Jaffer and Rahane also went past 1000 runs each in the Ranji Trophy for the season. This is the first occasion in the competition’s history that two batsmen from one team have achieved the feat in the same season. Rahane also crossed 1000 runs in first class cricket for the season.

Contrasting styles

The two batsmen were a study in contrast. Jaffer eased into his strokes while Rahane struggled with his initial movement and timing. To his credit, Rahane put a price on his wicket as Jaffer collected runs off either foot. Whether creating room with deft footwork for the inside-out drives through the off-side, punching off the back-foot or walking across to force the ball on the leg-side, Jaffer was poised and balanced.

When left-arm paceman Balakrishna Jadeja attempted to frustrate him by bowling a negative line from round-the-wicket, Jaffer stepped down the track to cut down the angle. The experienced opener also used the width of the crease well.

Earlier, Jaffer put on 91 for the first wicket with the bustling wicket-keeper batsman Vinayak Samant.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja largely disappointed; he tended to push his deliveries through rather than flight them. On the odd occasion he gave the ball air, he spun it past the outside edge. But then, Jadeja did not back himself on a big day. Technically, he needs to be bowling from closer to the stumps to spin the ball away. More often than not, Jadeja released from wider points of the crease negating the away spin.

The other left-armer, Rakesh Dhruv, has a lovely, easy action but struggled with his line. He consumed Samant on the sweep though.

The left-arm pace bowling of Jobanputra was steady. Balakrishna Jadeja was no more than pedestrian. The lack of variety in the Saurashtra attack — left-armers operated for most part while sending down pace or spin — hurt the side.

Skipper Jaydev Shah’s field placements did not inspire confidence either. He switched to the defensive mode too quickly and did not have enough men in the single saving positions to build pressure.