Reminding the new selection committee about his presence, classy opener Prithvi Shaw slammed a magnificent double century (206 not out, 245b, 29x4, 1x6)- including a century before lunch- to power Mumbai to a formidable 335 for 2 in just 76.5 overs against Assam on the opening day of their Elite Group B Ranji Trophy fifth round encounter at the brand-new, picturesque Amingaon Cricket Ground in Guwahati, which is hosting its first first-class game.
Taking a single off Rohan Alam, a fired-up Shaw reached his 12th first-class century, which came off just 107 balls and included 15 fours and a six, just before lunch, with Mumbai placed in a strong position at 171 for 1 in just 36 overs after the first session on Tuesday. It was Shaw's first century in this edition of the Ranji Trophy, and just the second time that he went past fifty. After Mumbai were asked to take first strike on a flat track by Assam, Shaw forged a 123-run opening stand with Musheer Khan (42, 72b, 5x4, 1x6), who replaced an ill Yashasvi Jaiswal, off just 142 balls.
When Shaw reached his fifty with 9 fours and a six, Mumbai were 65-0, which shows how much he dominated from the start. The partnership ended when Musheer was caught behind by Abhishek Thakur off Mukhtar Hussain. Thereafter, Shaw added 74 off 103 balls with Armaan Jaffer, who was run out for 27, for the second wicket. He then found another ally in skipper Ajinkya Rahane (42 not out, 84b, 2x4), and they had added 119* in 177 balls for the third wicket without being separated. During their partnership, a fan entered the ground and touched Rahane's feet, before the security personnel took him out.
Making a couple of changes to their side, Mumbai rested pacer Tushar Deshpande, bringing in left-arm seamer Royston Dias. They also dropped wicketkeeper Hardik Tamore, replacing him with Prasad Pawar, who made his First-Class debut. Assam missed the services of their captain Kunal Saikia, who is still recovering from his hamstring injury. In his absence, seasoned batsman Gokul Sharma led the side. Akash Sengupta, who scored 65 against Maharashtra, also missed the game due to fever.
