06 December,2023 07:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh Mayure
Ajinkya Rahane
Though Mumbai qualified for the Vijay Hazare Trophy knockouts from Group A, the Ajinkya Rahane-led team suffered their second consecutive loss - to Odisha - in the league stage on Tuesday.
Chasing Odisha's 199-9, Mumbai were bowled out for just 113 in 32.3 overs to lose by 86 runs in Alur, near Bangalore, on Tuesday. Mumbai suffered a 53-run defeat to Tripura in Bangalore on Sunday.
Former Mumbai captain, chief selector and current advisor, Milind Rege reckoned this is a frustrating and worrying situation. "I think the players must realise their responsibility. Mumbai has culture and tradition. Winning and losing is a part of the game, but how you lose is important.
"Match after match our middle-order is failing. Those batsmen who were supposed to score runs did not look like applying themselves. The ownership was totally on the batsmen, because what more can the selectors do? These are the best possible 25 players that we have. It's very frustrating. Selectors are working really hard, spending hours watching players. They must have seen more than 200 players in the last six months," Rege told mid-day on Tuesday.
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The Mumbai bowlers did well to restrict Odisha inside 200, thanks to disciplined bowling efforts from pacers Mohit Avasthi (3-30), Royston Dias (2-36) and left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar (2-34). However, except No. 11 Dias (24 not out) and one-drop Hardik Tamore (23), no other Mumbai batsman managed to get past the 20-run mark while facing the Odisha bowlers - pacers Rajesh Mohanty and Debabrata Pradhan and off-spinners Govinda Poddar and Abhishek Yadav, all of whom claimed two wickets apiece.
"How could you lose to Tripura and Odisha? Players have to regroup, find out for themselves as to why they are not performing as expected. The batsmen are not taking responsibility to win.
These players are playing for India, India âA', India U-19 and in the IPL, but failed to showcase responsibility here. They must introspect on where they are lacking. Nobody is panicking, but players have to try to find out for themselves why they are not contributing as much as they are expected to contribute," Rege stressed.
The former Mumbai captain now wants the batsmen to realise the importance of the 50-over game at the knockout stage starting in Rajkot on Saturday. "Before the knockouts, my message to them [Mumbai players] is try to introspect on which shots to avoid as it is a long game. You have to take responsibility and not wait for the next man to score runs," Rege signed off.
