Ranji Trophy: Old warhorse Jaffer provides Mumbai the charge

NAVI MUMBAI: In the previous three Ranji games that he played this season (he opted out of four owing to personal reasons), Wasim Jaffer didn't hit a ton.
He crossed the fifties four times, but never got to three-figures. An unlikely stat for someone who's amassed more than 15,000 runs in domestic cricket.
Not to mention, Mumbai missed the prolific opener's calming presence more than anybody else, as their struggled display in the first seven matches of the season shows.
Against Gujarat, on the second day of their final group stage clash at the DY Patil Stadium in Nerul, Mumbai looked up to Jaffer to guide them past Gujarat's first innings total of 244.
And he didn't disappoint, hitting a classy hundred - his 45th in 207 Ranji games - to all but ensure the 39-time champions' entry into the quarterfinal knockouts.
He left just about an hour before the end of Sunday's play, having batted for 389 minutes and faced 271 balls for his 171.
Jaffer's knock was studded with 21 hits to the fence and one over it. Resuming from their overnight 24 for 1, Mumbai ended Day 2 at a comfortable 323 for 5, a lead of 79 runs.
The pitch, which showed signs of life for the better part of the opening day's play on Saturday, seemed to have changed its character overnight. As it went to sleep, the bowlers toiled, and the batsmen flourished.
Jaffer first added 47 runs for the second wicket with Aditya Tare (20), and 213 runs for the third with Hiken Shah (82), as Mumbai went past Gujarat's total. Soon after, Shah, in a bid to accelerate the scoring rate, missed what would have been his fourth ton of the season.
As Gujarat took the new ball, the aggressive Surya Kumar Yadav came in next, and that meant Mumbai wanted quick runs.
Jaffer didn't last long though, as a diving Samit Gohel plucked his tired-looking drive against left-arm pacer Rush Kalaria. It was the next ball after he had got a reprieve in the covers off the same bowler.
Debutante Nikhil Patil failed to add a run to his name as Mumbai lost their fifth wicket soon after, but next man Abhishek Nayar and Yadav ensured there was no further setbacks.
Jaffer was happy with his effort. "We are in a good position to go for a win. It will hold us in good stead before the knockouts. If we can add some quick runs by lunch tomorrow, we can go for it," the elegant left-hander said.