The U-19 World Cup batter and younger brother of Sarfaraz Khan hit 203 to boost Mumbai on Day 2 in their Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Baroda
“Din bhar jab insaan batting karta hai toh lagta hai roz ka kaam. Abhi aadat hi ho gayi hai bade score karne ki, right from school cricket days. (When you bat for long hours every day it feels like a daily routine; I have a habit of scoring big runs from my school days),” said Sarfaraz Khan when asked about his penchant to score big hundreds after one of his marathon Ranji Trophy innings.
Mumbai batter Musheer Khan got his maiden first-class double ton.(PTI)
His younger brother Musheer Khan has taken after him in terms of scoring daddy hundreds. His achievements in local cricket is well known, having got big runs in club cricket and for Mumbai in age-group tournaments, including a triple hundred (339) in a U-15 CK Nayudu Trophy match against Hyderabad in 2023. On Saturday, he did that at senior level, converting his overnight hundred into a double century for Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Baroda at the MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground.
Hindustan Times – your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.
Also Read | Joe Root makes ‘reverse scoop’ admission after Sunil Gavaskar left disappointed over record century in 4th India Test
Coming into bat at No.3, he scored 203 off 357 balls in an innings spanning close to nine hours. It was a priceless effort from the 18-year-old as he scored more than half of Mumbai’s total of 384.
In reply, despite losing Priyanshu Moliya early, the Baroda top-order adopted a positive approach. At the end of second day’s play, the visitors were 127/2, behind by 257 runs. Given how left-hand batter Shashwat Rawat played freely during his unbeaten 69 (88 balls), Mumbai bowlers have a fight on hand. Baroda captain Vishnu Solanki is batting on 23.
MUSHEER-TAMORE PARTNERSHIP
With his team under pressure after losing four early wickets, Musheer eschewed all risks and looked to play along the ground throughout, hitting 18 fours and no six. That Mumbai’s second highest score was 57, by Hardik Tamore, speaks about the challenge and quality of Baroda’s bowling attack. The two were made to work hard for every run. The keeper-batter gave solid support to Musheer, playing out 248 balls to help add 181 runs for the sixth wicket.
Resuming on the overnight total of 248/5, the two added a further 75 runs on the second morning. In a bid to unsettle the set right-hand batting pair, Baroda captain even made his pacers switch to bowling bouncers from around the wicket.
On 156, Musheer was hit on the helmet by a delivery from his India U-19 teammate Raj Limbani, but he continued. There was a well-directed bouncer from left-arm pacer Lukman Meriwala, but Musheer adjusted by bending back to tap it over the keeper for his 15th four to move to 168.
In between long phases of defending, Tamore cover drove Meriwala to move into his 40s. He brought up his fifty in style, dancing down the track to hit Mahesh Pithiya down the ground for his third boundary.
The partnership was finally broken at the total of 323 when left-arm spinner Ninad Rathwa induced an outside edge to have Tamore caught at slip by Jyotsnil Singh.
Wickets fell quickly after lunch. Musheer completed his double hundred but the tailenders failed to offer support as the hosts lost their last four wickets for 40 runs.
Given that it is a five-day game, there is enough time for the match to go the full distance. Baroda batters know they have to make the first innings count as batting last will be challenging.
