Vidarbha’s Akshay Wadkar
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

Mumbai has a legacy of a strong lower order bailing the team out, especially in big knockout games, right through the history of the Ranji Trophy. While Vidarbha captain Akshay Wadkar was cautious about the allrounders’ trio of Shams Mulani, Shardul Thakur and Tanush Kotian, his Mumbai counterpart hoped that the trio’s batting effort will not have to be relied upon too much in the Ranji semifinal.

“We are cautious about their lower order. That’s the strongest lower order among all the opponents we have faced so far. Not just the last year’s final, even in the last match (quarterfinal against Haryana), we saw the lower order bailing them out from 100 for seven to post 300 on the board,” Wadkar said here on Sunday. “A team with such a strong lower order is the most dangerous outift. We are aware of it and have planned accordingly.

While Shardul and Co. have stood tall in crisis, they have been put under severe duress due to the top six not performing to their potential. “It’s been happening frequently and our lower order has saved us 70-80 per cent of times. We have been discussing it,” Rahane said.

“Top order coming good always puts a team on top but no top order does it deliberately. It happens and as a team, we are trying to improve ourselves. There’s a collapse after a strong start at times but as a captain, I will take as long as the team puts up a total that’s adequate for a given pitch.”