Propelled by Suryakumar Yadav’s (103 off 86) whirlwind century and a patient hundred by Kaustubh Pawar, Mumbai were 431 for the loss of four wickets in the first innings at stumps on Day 2 in reply to New Zealand’s 324 for seven declared. With Siddhesh Lad (86*) and Aditya Tare (53*) in the middle at the end of day’s play, Mumbai were leading by 107 runs in the ongoing game.
While Pawar anchored the Mumbai innings with a watchful knock, Armaan Jaffer (69) and Suryakumar (103 off 86) milked the New Zealand bowlers as they worked towards seizing a lead in the three-day warm-up match at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi.
Resuming his knock on 24, Jaffer struck Trent Boult to the long-off boundary to begin the second day in style. The young Mumbai batsman scored with ease as he helped shape the innings with Pawar. The No 3 batsman hit Santner for back-to-back boundaries as he cruised along taking the team to 107 before Ish Sodhi sent him back at the stroke of lunch.
Rohit Sharma then joined the opener in carrying the Mumbai innings forward. However, while on 18, Rohit was stumped off Sodhi in the second session. Suryakumar, who then took guard, took the attack to the NZ bowlers. The stylish stroke-maker was on song as plundered runs off the opposition attack. He slammed Neil Wagner for a six to bring up his fifty and continued to clobber the bowlers. With Pawar, he took the team to Tea at 223 for the loss of three wickets.
While the batsmen at the other end were gleaning runs, Pawar stoically anchored the innings as Mumbai closed in on New Zealand’s first innings total. In the final session, Suryakumar was the first to reach the three-figure mark with a six Santner off 83 balls. His sparkling ton included nine boundaries and eight sixes. However, later in the over he was sent back by the bowler on 103.
Pawar followed Suryakumar to the three-figure mark a while later. The opener who had played the waiting game brought up his 100 off 227 balls and retired on getting his hundred. With the team on 294, Siddhesh Lad too joined in the run fest. While captain Aditya Tare scored at a steady pace, the lower middle-order bat raced to his fifty off 43 balls with five sixes and three boundaries. Lad and Tare were involved in an unbroken 137-run stand when play ended for the day.
Brief scores:
Day 1 - NZ 1st inn 324/7 decl. in 75 overs (T Latham 55, K Williamson 50, B Sandhu 2/21); Mumbai 1st inn 29/1 in 13 overs (A Jaffer 24*, K Pawar 5, T Boult 1/5) Trail by 295 runs
Day 2 – Mumbai 1st inn 431/4 in 103 overs (S Yadav 103, K Pawar 100, S Lad 86*, A Jaffer 69, I Sodhi 2/132)
