Tanush Kotian took eight for 84 to help Mumbai beat Haryana in the Ranji Trophy on Thursday. Kotian got career-best figures at the Sharad Pawar Academy ground. Mumbai chased the 97-run target in under 11 overs. Openers Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Divyaansh Saxena finished the game quickly to secure a bonus point.
Tanush Kotian picked eight for 84 in the second innings before Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Divyaansh Saxena shot down the target of 97 inside 11 overs.
Tanush Kotian spun his web around Haryana with career-best figures to set up Mumbai's third consecutive Ranji Trophy victory with a bonus point, as the host continued its march towards regaining the title at the Sharad Pawar Academy ground in Mumbai on Thursday.
Kotian claimed eight for 84 to finish with a match haul of 11 wickets as Haryana was bowled out for 256 at the stroke of Tea. Mumbai's openers, Divyaansh Saxena (30 n.o., 25b, 2x4, 2x6) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (67 n.o., 39b, 7x4, 3x6), then made light work of the 97-run target, overhauling it in less than 11 overs.
When Kotian opened the bowling from the pavilion end in the morning, Mumbai needed eight wickets to seal victory while Haryana had to bat out of its skin to salvage a draw. The off-spinner wasted little time in making an impact, inducing an edge from Yashvardhan Dalal that Sarfaraz Khan pouched safely.
Himanshu Rana, who had retired hurt after being struck on the helmet the previous evening, returned to join the resolute Nishant Sindhu. But Kotian struck again close to lunch, getting one to turn sharply into Rana, whose edge was safely held by Saxena at leg-slip. Sindhu then fell at the stroke of lunch, inside-edging an audacious sweep that wicketkeeper Akash Anand caught cleanly.
Kotian continued to vary his angles cleverly, but Samant Jakhar and Anuj Thakral resisted for nearly two hours. The breakthrough finally came when Kotian, bowling over the wicket, turned one through Thakral's defence to hit the stumps. The resistance unravelled thereafter, allowing Kotian to register his career-best in an innings and a match.
Mumbai's openers ensured there was no late drama. Unleashing their T20 strokes against Haryana's spinners, they cleared the boundary with ease. Raghuvanshi even employed the reverse-sweep effectively against left-arm spinner Sindhu before sealing the win with a swat over midwicket for six off off-spinner Kanishk Chouhan.