Mumbai: Former Indian seamer and Mumbai skipper Paras Mhambrey scalped five wickets to restrict Himachal Pradesh (HP) to 254 all out in its first innings on the opening day of the Group 'A' Ranji Trophy league match at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. Mhambrey won the toss in the morning and put the opposition into bat first. Despite a chancy 108 by former Indian opening batsman and HP skipper Vikram Rathore, the visitors could make 254 from 79.3 overs in 355 minutes. In reply, the hosts had made 20 for the loss of Wasim Jaffer's wicket before the stumps were drawn. Himachal found themselves in trouble losing two wickets for just 46 runs on the board before Rathore, who hit leg spinner Sairaj Bahutule for three sixes, and Rajiv Nayyar (14) added 71 runs for the third wicket in 32 overs to retrieve the situation. Rathore, who reached his 100 with a boundary to mid-wicket off Bahutule hitting 12 fours and three sixes after facing 176 balls, also added another 89 runs with Amit Sharma (39 off 97 balls) for the fourth wicket off 23 overs and were quite comfortably placed at 206 for four off 65.1 overs. However, after Rathore was adjudged leg before the wicket to Mhambrey, wickets fell at regular interval with talented fast bowler Avishkar Salvi and Bahutule taking two wickets each while Mhambrey finished with five for 64. Rathore, who got two chances, was dropped first on 26 at gully by Milind Tamhane off medium pacer Usman Malvi and then when on 65 was dropped by wicket-keeper Vinayak Sawant off Salvi.

Tags: cricket, mumbai, india, mumbai skipper paras mhambrey, himachal pradesh, hp, ranji trophy, wankhede stadium, vikram rathore, wasim jaffer, sairaj bahutule, rajiv nayyar, amit sharma, avishkar salvi, m.