Canny operator: Kotian varied his angles to keep the Haryana batters guessing.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
Tanush Kotian spun a web around Haryana with career-best figures to set up Mumbai’s third consecutive Ranji Trophy victory with a bonus point as the host continued its march towards regaining the title at the Sharad Pawar Academy ground on Thursday.
Kotian claimed eight for 81 to finish with a match haul of 11 wickets as Haryana was bowled out for 256 at the stroke of tea.
Mumbai openers Divyaansh Saxena (30 n.o., 25b, 2×4, 2×6) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (67 n.o., 39b, 7×4, 3×6) made light work of the 97-run target, overhauling it in less than 11 overs.
When Kotian opened the bowling from the pavilion end in the morning, Mumbai needed eight wickets to bowl out Haryana, while the away team had to bat out of its skin to salvage a draw. The off-spinner wasted little time in making an impact, inducing an edge from Yashvardhan Dalal that Sarfaraz Khan pouched safely.
Himanshu Rana, who had retired hurt after being struck on the helmet the previous evening, returned to join the resolute Nishant Sindhu. But Kotian struck again close to the lunch, getting one to turn sharply into Rana, whose edge was safely held by Saxena at leg-slip. Sindhu too fell before the break, as he inside-edged an audacious sweep that wicketkeeper Akash Anand caught cleanly.
Kotian continued to vary his angles cleverly, but Samant Jakhar and Anuj Thakral resisted for nearly two hours. The breakthrough finally came when Kotian, bowling over the wicket, breached Thakral’s defences. The resistance unravelled thereafter, allowing Kotian to register his career-best figures both in an innings and a match.
The Mumbai openers ensured there was no late drama. They cleared the boundary with ease against the spinners. Raghuvanshi even employed the reverse sweep effectively against left-arm spinner Nishant before sealing the win with a swat over midwicket for six off offie Kanishk Chouhan.
The scores:
Mumbai — 1st innings: 430.
Haryana — 1st innings: 270.
Haryana — 2nd innings: Ankit Kumar c Saxena b Kotian 12, Himanshu Rana c Saxena b Kotian 46, Nishant Sindhu c Anand b Kotian 44, Dheeru Singh c D’Souza b Musheer 2, Yashvardhan Dalal c Sarfaraz b Kotian 14, Parth Vats c Raghuvanshi b Kotian 24, Kanishk Chouhan c Lad b Musheer 18, Samant Jakhar b Kotian 40, Anuj Thakral (not out) 40, Ajith Chahal b Kotian 0, Aman Kumar b Kotian 2; Extras (b-5, lb-6, nb-1, w-2): 14; Total (in 85.3 overs): 256.
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-54, 3-75, 4-117, 5-128, 6-165, 7-167, 8-248, 9-248.
Mumbai bowling: Mulani 16-6-49-0, Kotian 34.3-7-81-8, Avasthi 3-1-11-0, D’Souza 3-0-8-0, Musheer 22-4-75-2, Deshpande 7-1-21-0.
Mumbai — 2nd innings: Divyaansh Saxena (not out) 30, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (not out) 67; Total (for no loss in 10.4 overs): 97.
Haryana bowling: Chouhan 4.4-1-0-30-0, Sindhu 5-0-53-0, Vats 1-0-14-0.
Published – October 29, 2026 06:17 pm IST
