Musheer, Iyer take Mumbai higher!

Mumbai’s Musheer Khan celebrates his century during Day Three of the Ranji Trophy final against Vidarbha at Wankhede Stadium yesterday; (right) Shreyas Iyer en route his 95 against Vidarbha at Wankhede yesterday. Pics/PTI

Vidarbha skipper Akshay Wadkar had to employ eight bowlers to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane's Mumbai on Day Three of their Ranji Trophy final at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. If this doesn't indicate Vidarbha's degree of difficulty, despondency and desperation, nothing else will.

The hosts continued their supremacy by amassing 418 in the second innings to set the visitors a near-impossible 538 -run victory target. They were 10 without loss at stumps.

Mumbai's Musheer Khan, 19, replicated his gutsy knock of 203 not out which he has scored against Baroda in the quarter-final. Once again, he showed why he is rated highly as a batsman. In his 326-ball marathon innings, Musheer scored 136 with the help of 10 fours. From the other end, he saw two Test batsmen failing to get their centuries - first Rahane and then Shreyas Iyer.

Two big partnerships

He first put on 130 runs for the third wicket with Rahane and then stitched a 168-run stand with Iyer.

Rahane (73, 5x4, 1x6) added 15 runs to his overnight score of 58, but missed out on his maiden century of the season when left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey broke his defence for Wadkar to take a sharp catch behind the stumps. Rahane's departure didn't affect Musheer's approach. In his calculative eight-hour knock, the Mumbai one-drop batsman took 66 singles and batted sensibly in the company of Test man Iyer. Musheer, who was unbeaten on 51 on Monday, displayed his entire repertoire - drives, square cuts, upper cuts, sweeps and to top it all, quick running between wickets. It was apparent that his hunger for runs helped him get his second three-figure Ranji score of the season.

Iyer (95 off 111 balls, 10x4, 3x6), who was dismissed for seven in the first innings, needed only 13 balls to get into the groove. He did so by smashing pacer Atharva Taide's fuller length delivery over the long off boundary. Thakur tested Iyer's patience and skill with short-pitched and fuller length balls, but in vain.

Shreyas takes on short stuff

When Thakur tried a short ball again, Iyer clubbed it over the long leg fence for his second six.

Iyer took just 62 balls to get his half-century, edging a fine delivery from Dubey which went between slip and wicketkeeper for a four.

Iyer's fifty was laced with six fours and two sixes. Unbeaten on 68 at lunch, he smashed Dubey for a six over the long-on fence off the very first ball after the luncheon break.

However, he was unlucky to be caught by long off fielder Aman Mokhade off Thakare for 95 as India skipper Rohit Sharma watched from the Mumbai dressing room. Iyer lost control of his grip and the bat fell on the turf in an attempt to go for a big hit.

Spin bowling all-rounder Shams Mulani remained unbeaten on 50, his 16th first-class half-century in 38 games. For the visitors, Dubey, who claimed three in the first innings, added five to his match tally.

Brief scores
Mumbai 224 & 418 (M Khan 136, S Iyer 95, A Rahane 73, S Mulani 50'; H Dubey 5-144, Y Thakur 3-79) v Vidarbha 105 & 10-0 (D Shorey 7', A Taide 3')