Irani Cup: Rest of India collapse from 393/4 to 416 all-out

Mumbai are in pole position to win their first Irani Cup this century after Rest of India endured a horror collapse on either side of lunch on Day 4 of the clash in Lucknow.

Rest of India began the day on 289/4, 248 runs shy of Mumbai’s total of 537. Centurion Abhimanyu Easwaran (151*) and Dhruv Jurel (30*) both began the day well-set and looked really strong in the first hour. Just a few minutes prior to lunch, Rest of India were well placed at 393/4, with Jurel looking good for a ton and Easwaran nearing a double century.

However, Rest of India ended up losing both set batters on the stroke of lunch in a span of two overs. Jurel departed first for 93 and then Easwaran for 191, with both of them falling to Shams Mulani.

Rest of India went to lunch with the score 400/6, hopeful of a lower-order fight taking them close to Mumbai’s total. However, between them, the last four batters managed to add just 16 runs. Three of the four wickets fell in the 111th over bowled by Tanush Kotian as the side collapsed from 393/4 to 416 all-out, conceding a 121-run lead.

With just over a day left in the contest, the trophy is all but Mumbai’s now. It’ll be a historic win if Mumbai do get their hands on the trophy, because the state side has not won an Irani Cup this entire century. The last time Mumbai won the Irani Cup was back in the 1997/98 season under the captaincy of Sanjay Manjrekar.

Since then, they’ve played the Irani Cup eight times but have failed to get their hands on the trophy on all eight occasions. 

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