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| February 06, 2007 | Tuesday | Muharram 17, 1428 |
Mumbai clinch Ranji Trophy
MUMBAI, Feb 5: Mumbai rode on a rare domestic appearance by superstar Sachin Tendulkar to win India's premier first-class tournament for the Ranji Trophy here on Monday.
Mumbai defeated Saurav Ganguly's Bengal by 132 runs on the fourth day of the five-day final at the Wankhede Stadium to win the tournament for a record 37th time.
The final, sandwiched between India's home one-day series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka prior to the World Cup, allowed international stars to play the important first-class game.
Mumbai were boosted by the return of Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar and Ramesh Powar, while Ganguly turned out for Bengal.
Tendulkar, playing only his seventh Ranji Trophy match in the last 10 years, walked in with Mumbai struggling at 14-2 on the opening day and scored a fluent 105 and together with opener Wasim Jaffer’s 112 helped the hosts post 320 in the first innings.
Left-arm paceman Zaheer took five for 40 to dismiss Bengal for 143 on his first outing for Mumbai since moving from Baroda at the start of the season.
Jaffer (53) and promising Rohit Sharma (57) notched up half centuries and Tendulkar chipped in with 43 as Mumbai posted 294 in their second innings to set Bengal a target of 472.
Saurav Ganguly scored 90 and Manoj Tiwary 94, but Zaheer (4-119) and Ajit Agarkar (2-56) struck vital blows at the middle-order to swing the match in Mumbai's favour.
Bengal finished at 339 in the second innings, with Ganguly making 90 after being clean bowled first ball by Zaheer in the first.
Left-armer Zaheer, who shifted from Baroda to Mumbai this season, claimed nine wickets in his first match for his new team.
Tendulkar, Ganguly, Zaheer and Agarkar now have two days off before taking on Sri Lanka in the first of four one-dayers in Kolkata on Thursday.
Final scores:
MUMBAI 320 (Wasim Jaffer 112, S.R. Tendulkar 105, A.A. Muzumdar 31; R.R. Bose 4-77) and 294 (R. Sharma 57, Wasim Jaffer 53, S.R. Tendulkar 43, A.A. Muzumdar 37, A. Nair 34; R.R. Bose 5-71, S.S. Sarkar 3-54); BENGAL 143 (M. Tiwary 42; Zaheer Khan 5-40) and 339 (M. Tiwary 94, S.C. Ganguly 90, D. Dasgupta 57, R.S. Gavaskar 46; Zaheer Khan 4-119).—Agencies
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