Experience showed on the opening day as captain Siddhesh Lad’s well-paced 104 (179b, 10×4, 2×6) steered Mumbai into a commanding position.

Siddhesh Lad has already scored 530 runs this Ranji Trophy season.
| Photo Credit:
K.V.S. GIRI

With 530 runs already this Ranji Trophy season, including four tons and a half-century, Siddhesh entered the clash as a man capable of shaping any contest.

“I would have been happy to not be out, personally. But I think 332 is a good score having lost four wickets. A total of 500-plus would be good on this wicket,” Siddesh said.

“Some balls were kicking from length, the spinners kept the ball a bit low, and there was turn too. It’s a very competitive wicket and not easy to bat on,” he said of the surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here. “I would like to appreciate the way my openers batted. They saw off the new ball, which was very important for us.”

His partnership with Sarfaraz Khan saw him step back to play anchor early and a late acceleration, both tactically conscious calls.

“Whenever the runs are coming from the other end, it’s my responsibility as the captain and a senior player to keep one end intact, because we can’t score runs from both ends all the time. Earlier I used to play with the same momentum throughout. But now I feel that I need to change it at some point to score big runs. That is what I am trying. Whenever I get that chance, I have to make the most of it.”