Ranji Trophy: Mumbai reduce Baroda to 75 for six at lunch on Day 3

With the wicket getting increasingly difficult to bat on, the Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match between Mumbai and Baroda at the Kotambi International Cricket Stadium in Vadodara is getting increasingly interesting, heading for a thrilling climax.
Buoyed by off-spinning allrounder Tanush Kotian’s triple strike in just seven balls, Mumbai came roaring back, reducing Baroda to 75 for six in the first session on Day Three. The hosts now have a 151-run lead with four wickets left in the bag. Anything around 200 will test Mumbai’s batters, especially as the pitch has aided sharp turn from Day One.
On a sunny Sunday morning after two overcast days, it was Shardul Thakur who provided the opening breakthrough when he had Baroda opener Jyotsnil Singh (10) caught behind by Hardik Tamore off a ball moving outside off-stump. Kotian then unleashed his magic, trapping nightwatchman Raj Limbani (3) and Shashwat Rawat (0) lbw in the sixth over. He then castled ‘keeper-bat Mitesh Patel, who scored 86 in the first innings, for just one, leaving Baroda tottering at 23 for four.
Seamer Mohit Avasthi then dismissed Shivalik Sharma (13), who was caught by Ayush Mhatre at gully while miscuing a pull. Making his first-class debut, tall off-spinner Himanshu Singh, much to his delight, scalped his maiden wicket at this level when he had Baroda vice-captain Vishnu Solanki (5) caught at leg slip by Prithvi Shaw in a bat-pad dismissal. Having slumped to 41 for six, Baroda were staring down the barrel, before skipper Krunal Pandya (25 not out, 63b, 3x4, 1x6) and allrounder Atit Sheth (9 not out, 36b), who scored a half-century in the first innings, defied the Mumbai bowlers for almost an hour before lunch with their unbeaten 34-run stand for the seventh wicket in 88 balls.