Tushar Despande
MUMBAI: On a mission to prove a point after being ignored from the India ‘A’ touring party for the upcoming New Zealand tour, paceman Tushar Deshpande, playing in his landmark 50th first-class match, turned on the heat in steamy conditions in Chandigarh, producing a fiery opening burst of five for 17 in seven overs, including a hat-trick, to shoot out the visitors for a mere 78 in 19.1 overs in reply to Mumbai’s 429 on Day Two of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match at the Wankhede Stadium. Sprinting in during twilight after his exploits helped Mumbai enforce the follow-on, Deshpande cleaned up the stumps of Vishu Kashyap with another scorching incoming delivery for a three-ball duck in the only over that he and Mumbai bowled, leaving Chandigarh, enduring a nightmare, limping at 0 for one. Resuming at their overnight score of 249 for five, Mumbai lost skipper Siddhesh Lad (86, 192b, 9×4) and Shams Mulani (39, 68b, 4×4, 1×6) on Monday with not much added to the total. However, rising to the occasion yet again, Mumbai’s lower-order batters Tanush Kotian (58, 91b, 5×4), seamer Mohit Avasthi (56 not out, 119b, 6×4, 2×6), who scored his fourth first-class half-century, and Deshpande made valuable contributions to help Mumbai post 429 in a marathon batting effort of 136.5 overs. The trio helped Mumbai add 180 to their total on Monday while keeping Chandigarh on the field for two sessions.
Joining in the fun against Chandigarh’s mediocre batting, seamer Mohit Avasthi took three for nine in six overs, as Mumbai logged a humongous 351-run first-innings lead. Looking like lambs to the slaughter, Chandigarh, who started playing domestic cricket only in 2018-19 after the Lodha reforms kicked in, folded up for their lowest total in first-class cricket. After he had Chandigarh opener Arsalan Khan (2, 20b) chopping a ball onto his stumps in the seventh over, Deshpande walked into the history books in style in the 11th over when he took the wickets of Arjun Azad (20, top-edged a hook to Sylivester D’Souza at long leg), Shivam Bhambri (0, 1b, bowled by a pacy leg-cutter) and Deepinder Kush (caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal at first slip) to become the sixth Mumbai bowler to take a hat-trick in first-class cricket. Jahangir Khot, Umesh Kulkarni, Abdul Ismail, Royston Dias and Shardul Thakur (against Meghalaya at BKC in the 2025-26 season) are the other Mumbai bowlers to have taken a first-class hat-trick for Mumbai. It took just 20 balls for Deshpande to record his sixth five-wicket haul when he trapped Chandigarh all-rounder Raj Angad Bawa lbw for a four-ball duck. Floored by Deshpande’s strikes, Chandigarh collapsed like a pack of cards, losing five wickets for four runs to slide from 25 for one in the 11th over to 29 for six in the 13th over. Earlier in the day, the 31-year-old fast bowler had chipped in with an entertaining 44 (47b, 4×4, 2×6).
Meanwhile, Mumbai vice-captain Ayush Mhatre did not come out to field, with Suved Parkar substituting for him.
Earlier, as has been the case in the last five seasons or so, Mumbai’s last five batters virtually outscored the first five batters comfortably. On Tuesday morning, the hosts would be looking to wrap up this farcical game with a bonus-point win.
For Chandigarh, medium-pacers Raj Angad Bawa — who was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning team in the West Indies — and Rohit Dhanda were the most successful bowlers, taking eight wickets between themselves. After going wicketless on Day One, Bawa took four for 73 in 21.5 overs, while Dhanda had figures of four for 78 in 26 overs. The 23-year-old Bawa took all three Mumbai wickets that fell in the first session. After adding 74 in 126 balls for the sixth wicket with Mulani, Lad fell 14 runs short of his century, bowled by an incoming ball. Mulani was caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper A Rana, as Mumbai were reduced to 271 for seven. However, coming off a match-saving half-century of 52 in the second multi-day match for India ‘A’ against Australia ‘A’ in Pondicherry, Deshpande produced some fireworks, putting on a 71-run partnership with Kotian for the eighth wicket in just 83 balls. Showing that he’s no mug with the bat, Avasthi, together with Kotian, stretched Mumbai’s total with their 67-run stand in 146 balls for the ninth wicket, which left the tiring Chandigarh bowlers completely deflated in the severe heat. Kotian reached his 19th half-century in 77 balls, with a single to mid-on off Vishu Kashyap. Mohit reached his fifty with a flicked four off Raj Bawa to deep mid-wicket, consuming 109 balls. Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news , check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule .
Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines Deshpande was caught at second slip by Shivam Bhambri off Bawa. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.