Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023-24: Saurashtra on brink of elimination after Mumbai registers fifth consecutive win

Defending champion Saurashtra is all however out of the 2023-24 Vijay Hazare Trophy after a five-wicket loss to Mumbai on the Alur Cricket Stadium right here on Friday.

Yet one other below-par effort with the willow meant that Jaydev Unadkat’s males may solely muster 144 runs after being requested to bat.

In reply, Mumbai wobbled a bit, lowered because it was to 76 for 5. But a 74-run unbroken sixth-wicket stand between Prasad Pawar (43 n.o., 63b, 4×4, 1×6) and Shardul Thakur (39 n.o., 44b, 2×4, 2×6) carried the aspect to its fifth straight win and handed Saurashtra its third defeat in 5 matches.

Shardul and Pawar had been watchful initially, a lot in order that there was a part the place they didn’t rating a boundary for 11 overs. But as soon as the entire crossed 100, the duo let unfastened. Shardul pulled Unadkat for a 4 after which smashed Ankur Panwar for 2 maximums. Pawar introduced proceedings to a detailed with a six over long-on off Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.

Shardul’s was, the truth is, an all-round effort. Added to the Mumbai squad forward of the sport after a brief interval of relaxation to get better from the World Cup exertion, the pacer scalped two wickets (two for 37) within the morning.

If not for Cheteshwar Pujara’s dogged batting (55 n.o., 114b, 5×4, 1×6), Mumbai would have wrapped up the win a lot earlier. In the absence of Sheldon Jackson — who, in a uncommon transfer, was dropped after totalling simply 11 runs from 4 innings — Pujara held Saurashtra aloft.

The 35-year-old was reprieved twice – dropped by ‘keeper Pawar off speedster Mohit Avasthi when on 10 and adjudged leg-before to Shardul when on 41 only for it to be a no-ball. He capitalised by bringing up his half-century with a pulled six and a heaved four. That he received no support from his teammates proved Saurashtra’s undoing.