MUMBAI: Shams Mulani is taking 'fifers' for fun. At the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad this season. On Thursday, the left-arm spinner took five for 76, his second five-wicket haul in the match, to help Mumbai bowl out Karnataka for 312 in the second innings on Day Three of their Col CK Nayudu Trophy (for Under-25) quarterfinal.
Having taken five for 52 in the first innings, Mulani finished with a grand 10-wicket match haul for 128 runs. This is now his sixth five-wicket haul in his fourth game-an incredible feat indeed.
"I think it was hard work for our bowler s as the wicket was getting slower and slower. I was ready to bowl as many overs the team required me to bowl (he bowled 42. 2 overs). The intent of picking wickets was always there, no matter the situation. There is always scope of improvement when it comes to spin bowling, and I'm just trying to be better than I was before and sticking to my basics," Mulani told TOI from Ahmedabad. Thanks to Mulani, Karnataka collapsed from 268 for five to 312, leaving Mumbai to chase down 244. Mumbai, though, were in trouble, having slid to 28 for two at stumps. They need 216 for a win.
Bouncing back after they had slipped to 127 for five through a 141-run stand for the sixth wicket between half-centurions Aneesh KV (81, 173b, 9x4) and Kishan S Bedare (77 not out, 220b, 2x4), Karnataka managed to take a healthy lead.
Brief Scores: Karnataka 204 & 312 (Aneesh KV 81, Kishan S Bedare 77 not out, Shivakumar BU 45; S Mulani 5-76) vs Mumbai 273 & 28-2
