Fast bowler Aavishkar Salvi and opening batsman Wasim Jaffer guided Mumbai to a five-wicket victory over Baroda on the fourth and final day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'A' cricket match in Mumbai on Monday.
Salvi ripped through Baroda's middle order with a four-wicket haul as the visitors were dismissed for 270 before Test batsman Jaffer led the chase with an unbeaten 86 off 114 balls to help the reigning champions reach the target of 160.
Baroda, who had conceded 111-run first innings lead, resumed their second innings at the overnight score of 219 for four but lost Tushar Arothe early, when he was caught behind by wicketkeeper Vinayak Samant off the bowling of Salvi for seven.
Former India stumper Nayan Mongia went off the next delivery, edging an out-swinger to Vinayak Mane in the first slip, off Salvi for no score. The Mumbai paceman was on a hat-trick. Although Rakesh Patel denied him the feat, Salvi paved a way for his team's victory when he had the other not out batsman Ajit Bhoite (10) leg before the wicket with a delivery which came in sharply.
Rakesh Patel (18 off 71 balls) and left-hander Rajesh Pawar (24 off 99 balls) then used the long handle quite effectively to add 30 valuable runs before Patel was caught in the slips by Jaffer off left arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni.
Former Mumbai spinner Pawar, who plays for Baroda now, soon left, being caught by Amol Muzumdar in the second slip, off Salvi, while Shekhar Joshi was run-out and Irfan Pathan (senior) was left stranded. Both batsmen failed open their accounts.
Salvi, who had gone wicketless on Sunday in Baroda's second innings, finished with four for 61 while skipper Nilesh Kulkarni took four for 69.
Set to get 160 runs in 160 minutes and 15 mandatory overs, the hosts made heavy weather of the run chase, losing five wickets before reaching the target in the first mandatory over.
Baroda opened with Rakesh Patel and Irfan Pathan (Sr). Pathan struck a double blow when he had Vinayak Mane caught by Mongia for 12 and then had left-hander Nishit Shetty's scalp in similar fashion for two.
However, Jaffer, who looked pretty solid in his approach, had two vital partnerships despite wickets falling at the other end and made sure Mumbai began the season on a winning note.
First he added 56 runs for the third wicket with Mazumdar, in 11.3 overs, as the hosts sat quite comfortably at 91 for two at tea.
Soon after tea Mumbai lost two more wickets, that of Mazumdar, who was trapped leg before the wicket by off-spinner Ajit Bhoite for 12, and first innings century maker and Test discard Vinod Kambli, who was caught by Joshi at long-off off Pawar for nine.
Samant joined Jaffer and the pair put together a crucial 64 runs for the fifth-wicket n 13.1 overs in 64 minutes before Samant became over-ambitious and gave a return catch to Bhoite. He was out for 21, which came off 43 balls, including three fours.
Jaffer scored the winning runs in the 37th over off Pawar.
Ramesh Powar was unbeaten on zero.
Following the victory the hosts have four points while Baroda none.
Mumbai will play their next match against Delhi in Delhi from November 15.
Scoreboard
Baroda (Ist innings): 213
Mumbai (Ist innings): 324
Baroda (2nd innings):
C Williams c Mane b N Kulkarni 50
S Parab c Jaffer b Kulkarni 121
H Jadav c Salvi b R Powar 7
J Martin c Sawant b Kulkarni 16
T Arothe c Samant b Salvi 7
A Bhoite lbw Salvi 10
N Mongia c V Mane b Salvi 0
R Patel c Jaffer b Kulkarni 18
R Pawar c Mazumdar b Salvi 24
S Joshi run-out 0
I Pathan Sr not out 0
Extras: (b-4, lb-2, nb-10, w-1) 17
Total: (all out in 113.1 overs) 270
Fall of wickets: 1-107, 2-142, 3-197, 4-211, 5-219, 6-219, 7-228, 8-258, 9-258.
Bowling: A Salvi 21.1-5-61-4, S Hazare 12-1-33-0, N Kulkarni 36-9-69-4, R Powar 36-6-80-1, R Morris 6-3-18-0, N Shetty 1-0-3-0.
Mumbai (2nd innings):
V Mane c Mongia b Pathan 12
W Jaffer not out 86
N Shetty c Mongia b Pathan 2
A Mazumdar lbw b Bhoite 12
V Kambli c Joshi b R Pawar 9
V Samant c and b Bhoite 21
R Powar not out 0
Extras: (b-3, lb-4, nb-11) 18
Total: (for 5 wkts in 36. 2 overs) 160
Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-24, 3-80, 4-94, 5-158.
Bowling: R Patel 3-1-13-0, I Pathan 8-0-22-2, S Joshi 5-0-19-0, R Pawar 10.2-1-51-1, A Bhoite 10-0-48-2.
More from rediff