In a remarkable turn of events at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC Ground, Meghalaya suffered a devastating collapse against Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy match on Thursday.
After winning the toss and choosing to field, Mumbai’s bowlers Shardul Thakur and Mohit Avasthi dominated the early proceedings by claiming six wickets in just four overs.
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Thakur’s exceptional performance included a hat-trick, as he dismissed Anirudh B, Sumit Kumar, and Jaskirat in consecutive deliveries.
The collapse led Meghalaya to a score of 2/6, setting an unwanted record for the lowest team total at the fall of the sixth wicket in Ranji Trophy history.
This score also stands as the second-lowest such total in First-Class cricket history, with only Marylebone Cricket Club’s 0/6 against Surrey at Lord’s in 1872 being lower.
A resilient partnership of 38 runs between Pringsang Sangma and Akash Choudhary for the seventh wicket helped Meghalaya avoid the ignominy of recording the lowest-ever Ranji Trophy score, which remains at 21 all out, set by Hyderabad against Rajasthan in 2010.
Meghalaya’s innings eventually concluded at 86 runs in 24.3 overs, strengthening Mumbai’s position to secure a victory with a bonus point.
The bowling honours were shared among Mumbai’s attack, with Thakur claiming four wickets for 43 runs and Avasthi taking three wickets for 27 runs. Sylvester Dsouza and Shams Mulani also contributed to the wicket-taking tally.
Mumbai’s dominant bowling performance has put them in a strong position to secure crucial points in their campaign as the defending champions of the Ranji Trophy.