All-round Thakur helps Mumbai thrash UP by 8 wickets

A brave all-round effort by Mumbai pace spearhead Shardul Thakur helped Mumbai register a convincing eight-wicket win against Uttar Pradesh in the Group A Ranji Trophy cricket match, here today.
Thakur, who recorded a match-tally of nine wickets with a six for in the first-innings, not only troubled the UP batsmen with his wicket-taking ability but also contributed with a defiant 87 while batting at No.9 in Mumbai's first showing.
In his final flurry, the 23-year-old pacer alongwith new-ball partner Wilkin Mota (4-30) tore into the UP batting order to bundle out the hosts for 161 on the fourth day at Green Park.

Chasing a modest 98 for a win, the Suryakumar Yadav-led Mumbai achieved their target in 15.4 overs.
But the openers, Sushant Marathe (17) and Bravish Shetty (9), failed to give the 40-time Ranji champions a bonus point but Yadav (47) and Abhishek Nayar (20) stood unconquered with a 63-run stand.
Man-of-the-match Thakur, who bagged his third first-class five-wicket-haul in the first innings, helped Mumbai bowl out UP for 206 in their first innings.

In reply, Mumbai were reeling at 173 for eight before Thakur, registering his maiden first-class half-century, stitched a 97-run ninth-wicket partnership with Kshemal Waingankar (31 not out) to help the visitors get 270 and a vital first-innings lead.

The Mumbai lower-order showed the will to fight as No.7 Shreyas Iyer (75) also fought it out with a seventh-wicket 66-run stand with Mota and a 50-run eight-wicket partnership with Thakur.
UP medium Praveen Kumar (3-77) and Amit Mishra (4-63) did their bit but the lower-order resistance spoiled their initial hard work.
Brief Scores:
Uttar Pradesh 206 and 161 (Umang Sharma 60, Praveen Kumar 47; Shardul Thakur 3-70, Wilkin Mota 4-30)
Mumbai 270 and 98/2 in 15.4 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 47 not out, Abhishek Nayar 20 not out; Ankit Rajput 2-34).