Mumbai ride on Nayar, Kukreja tons

RAJKOT, October 6: Call it the Twenty20 effect, but all-rounder Abhishek Nayar batted in his natural, explosive way and, in the company of opener Sahil Kukreja, provided Mumbai a good first innings total against the Rest of India on the opening day of the Irani Trophy at the Madhavrao Scindia Municipal Stadium on Saturday.
Nayar cracked a flamboyant 118 off just 108 balls while Kukreja scored a responsible 110 (210 balls; 17x4) as Mumbai rallied from 165 for 4 to a commanding 385 for 8 in 86 overs.
Nayar and Kukreja shared a rollicking partnership of 171 runs in 32.2 overs — an association that changed the complexion of the Mumbai first innings which saw top guns Wasim Jaffer and Amol Muzumdar being dismissed cheaply after the latter won the toss and chose to bat first.
The star of the day was 23-year-old Nayar, who went for the bowling from the word go.
Quick on his feet, he batted with authority and gusto to show that there was little to fear from the pitch or the attack led by Munaf Patel and Ranadeb Bose. Nayar also had no trouble facing the other pacer Ishant Sharma and spinners Pragyan Ojha, Amit Mishra and S Badrinath