RANJI TROPHY | Aman and Sidhaant’s spunky stand rebuffs Mumbai

Aman Khan has played capable cricket successful the maidans of Mumbai, and adjacent featured successful white-ball teams for the home giant, earlier moving to Pondicherry past year.

And arsenic Pondicherry struggled successful its 2nd innings of a Ranji Trophy Group D fixture aft being forced to follow-on astatine the Wankhede Stadium connected Tuesday, Aman came up with a counter-attacking 44-ball-86 arsenic his squad lived to combat different day.

After being bundled retired for 132, Pondicherry was reeling astatine 91 for 5 successful the 2nd effort erstwhile Aman walked retired to bat. Dashing Mumbai’s hopes of wrapping things up wrong 3 days, Aman dealt successful sixes and fours.

The 28-year-old not lone brought up his half-century disconnected conscionable 29 balls, with a six astatine wide long-on disconnected Tanush Kotian, but besides forged a important 137-run concern for the sixth wicket with chap Mumbai lad Sidhaant Aadhhatrao (51 batting, 54b, 9x4). Pondicherry ended the time astatine 231 for six.

Mumbai’s bowlers, clearly, weren’t expecting absorption from Pondicherry’s little middle-order aft Shams Mulani claimed a mates of wickets aboriginal on. But knowing the conditions well, Aman targetted off-spinner Kotian, and scored 45 runs successful his 15 deliveries.

As Kotian looked hassled, Aman deed him for 3 fours and 4 sixes, and besides fetched 25 runs from Musheer Khan’s 10 deliveries, earlier being cleaned up by the latter.

Taking cue from Aman, Sidhaant, too, brought up his maiden fifty, featuring successful his 5th First Class game. As the wicket eased out, the duo banked connected their acquisition and tested Mumbai’s bowlers. However, trailing by 267 runs, Pondicherry inactive has a upland to climb.

Earlier, Mohit Kale scored a fifty, earlier falling to Mulani, arsenic Pondicherry resumed the time astatine 43 for four. Mulani had a tract time earlier the 2 Mumbai boys delayed the inevitable.

The scores: Mumbai — 1st innings: 630 for 5 (decl).

Pondicherry — 1st innings: Neyan Kangayan b Shardul 0, Ajay Rohera c Mhatre b Deshpande 14, Paras Ratnaparkhe lbw b Shardul 0, Anand Bais c Akash b Shardul 5, Mohit Kale c Akash b Mulani 53, Sagar Udeshi c & b Deshpande 20, Sidhaant Aadhhatrao lbw b Kotian 23, Aman Khan b Kotian 12, Jayant Yadav st Akash b Mulani 1, Sabhay Chadha c Avasthi b Kotian 1, Abin Mathew (not out) 0; Extras (lb-1, nb-1, b-1): 3; Total (in 47.2 overs): 132.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0, 3-8, 4-26, 5-69, 6-113, 7-129, 8-130, 9-132.

Mumbai bowling: Shardul 9-1-22-3, Avasthi 10-2-26-0, Deshpande 9-1-26-2, Mulani 10-3-23-2, Kotian 9.2-1-33-3.

Pondicherry — 2nd innings: Neyan Kangayan lbw b Kotian 42, Ajay Rohera c Sarfaraz b Deshpande 0, Paras Ratnaparkhe c Akash b Shardul 1, Mohit Kale c sub (Patil) b Mulani 35, Anand Bais c Deshpande b Mulani 8, Sidhaant Aadhhatrao (batting) 51, Aman Khan b Musheer 86, Jayant Yadav (batting) 3; Extras (lb-1, b-4): 5; Total (for six wkts. successful 45 overs): 231.

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-3, 3-69, 4-85, 5-91, 6-228.

Mumbai bowling: Shardul 5-0-10-1, Deshpande 5-0-28-1, Avasthi 4-0-15-0, Mulani 17-3-67-2, Kotian 10-1-70-1, Musheer 4-0-36-1.