Showing off his fine form at the perfect time — the national selectors are set to pick the Indian team for the Test series against Australia at home soon — India's pace bowling allrounder Shardul Thakur took 5 for 80 in 26 overs (2-68 in 22 overs & 3-12 in 4 overs) on Thursday to help Mumbai close in on an innings win against Assam in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match at the Amigaon Cricket Ground in Guwahati.
Leading the Mumbai attack after a long time, Thakur, in tandem wi th fellow pacer Mohit Avasthi (2-19), destroyed Assam in the second innings. Hurtling towards an innings defeat, the beleaguered hosts were tottering at 36 fo r 5 at stumps on Day 3. In fact, they had collapsed to 17 for 5 by the fifth over.
With Assam still trailing by 281 runs, Mumbai will look to quickly wrap the game before lunch on Day 4 and score an innings victory which will enable them to pocket a valuable bonus point and boost their chances of going through to the knockouts.
Assam's capitulation was incomplete contrast to the resistance they offered in the first innings. Left with a mountain to climb even to avoid the follow on after Mumbai put up an imposing 687 for 4 decl, Assam, riding on fifties by opener Rahul Hazarika (79, 138b, 11x4), Rishav Das (75, 104b, 11x4), skipper Gokul Sharma (70, 153b, 13x4) an d Abhishek Thakuri (51, 86b, 9x4) finished at 370, but failed to avoid the follow on. The man doing the damage with the ball for Mumbai was as usual leftarm spinner Shams Mulani, who took 4-111 after toiling for 35.1 overs.
Resuming on 129 for 1, Assam stumbled initially, being reduced to 238 for 6 at lunch, with fast bowlers Thakur and Mohit Avasthi claiming a couple of wickets each. Thakur provided Mumbai with the first breakthrough of the day, when he had Hazarika caught behind by debutant Prasad Pawar, ending an 84-run stand for the second wicket between Hazarika and Das. Assam's star bat Riyan Parag, who plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, hit a huge six off Mulani, but was out for 15, caught b y Shaw off Thakur.
However, Thakuri and Gokul added 80 for the seventh wicket in 151 balls to provide stiff resistance to Mumbai, before Mulani dismissed Thakuri.
