The Tripura-Mumbai Ranji match concluded in a draw at the MBB Stadium on Tuesday, with Mumbai gaining 3 points due to a lead in the first innings, while Tripura earned one point.
With a valuable point from Mumbai, Tripura remains in contention in the Ranji Trophy. After the first match was cancelled, Tripura earned one point and secured bonus points by defeating Meghalaya in the second match.
In the second home match, they put up an impressive fight against a strong Mumbai team. Players like Manishankar Murasu fought valiantly against Mumbai, which featured stars like Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur.
Tripura’s cricketers held their ground against the multiple-time Ranji Trophy champions, Mumbai. If Jibanjyot Singh and Shridam Pal had shown more patience, Tripura might have taken the lead in the first innings of the match. However, Tripura’s morale has undoubtedly increased after holding after the match. Last year, Tripura defeated Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy cricket tournament.
Mumbai posted a total of 450 runs, and Tripura scored 302 in their first innings. Leading by 148 runs and starting the day at 7 for 2, Mumbai soon found themselves struggling at 44 for 5 due to Tripura’s tight bowling attack.
However, experienced Rahane, alongside S.D. Lad, held the fort, adding 64 runs from 152 balls for the sixth wicket. Ultimately, after 43 overs, Mumbai declared their innings at 123 for 6, with Rahane scoring 48 from 90 balls with 5 boundaries, while Suryansh remained unbeaten at 9.
For Tripura, Abhijit Sarkar took 3 wickets for 31 runs, and Manishankar Murasing claimed 2 wickets for 11 runs.
Tripura began their chase of 272 runs in the second innings, scoring 48 without losing any wickets in 22 overs.
It was evident from the beginning of the day that the match would end in a draw. Mumbai’s touring team faced pressure due to Tripura’s bowlers, losing wickets consecutively. Had Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane not mounted a strong defense, they might have faced a tough situation. Rahane played a pivotal role in securing 3 points for his team.
Tripura, in their chase, managed 48 runs in 22 overs without losing a wicket. Bikram Kumar Das scored 32 off 78 balls with five boundaries, while Jibanjyot Singh remained unbeaten at 16 off 54 balls.
Tripura will play its fourth match against Baroda from November 6-9 at MBB Stadium.
(Tripura, Northeast)
