Rohit Sharma’s brief stay at the crease ended in a golden duck, but Mumbai’s firepower ensured they defeated Uttarakhand by 51 runs in a Group C Vijay Hazare Trophy clash on Friday. Batting first, Mumbai posted a commanding 331 for seven, thanks to crucial contributions from Hardik Tamore, who remained unbeaten on 93 off 82 balls, and half-centuries from Sarfaraz Khan (55 off 49 balls) and Musheer Khan (55 off 56 balls). The Khan brothers stitched together a 107-run partnership for the third wicket, with Sarfaraz targeting square-of-the-wicket shots, including a six off Mayank Mishra, while Musheer focused on straight drives over the seamers’ head.
Tamore later guided Mumbai’s innings, running well between the wickets and attacking the two left-arm spinners Mishra and J Suchith, hitting a six over extra cover and another wide off long-on. His partnership of 95 in just 10.5 overs with Shams Mulani (48 off 35 balls) proved decisive, though Tamore fell just short of a deserved century. Uttarakhand responded with 280 for nine, largely due to opener Yuvraj Choudhary’s 96 off 96 balls. Musheer Khan also contributed with the ball, claiming two wickets for 57 runs, while debutant Onkar Tarmale impressed with figures of 2 for 40. Devendra Bora was the pick of the bowlers for Mumbai, taking 3 for 74, and famously dismissing Rohit Sharma with a short delivery that was caught at deep fine leg by Jagmohan Nagarkoti. Despite Rohit’s early departure, he made a mark in the field, taking a sharp first-slip catch off Shardul Thakur to dismiss Uttarakhand opener Kamal Singh. The crowd of around 5,000-6,000 had hoped to see more of Rohit’s impact, chanting for him to bowl late in the innings, but he chose not to roll his arm over. Ultimately, Mumbai’s dominant batting display and disciplined bowling effort saw them secure a comfortable 51-run win, continuing their strong run in the tournament. Brief Scores: Mumbai: 331/7 in 50 overs (Hardik Tamore 93*, Sarfaraz Khan 55, Musheer Khan 55; Devendra Bora 3/74) Uttarakhand: 280/9 in 50 overs (Yuvraj Choudhary 96; Onkar Tarmale 2/40, Musheer Khan 2/57)
