MUMBAI, February 6: Vinod Kambli says he feels at home when he walks out to bat at the Wankhede Stadium. And he demonstrated that vividly at the expense of a hapless Railways attack to raise his sixth double hundred in first class cricket today. The Test discard's bold statement with the bat saw Mumbai soar to a 373-run lead on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Super League opener.And when skipper Sachin Tendulkar spared the Railway bowlers of further agony by declaring the innings at 497, Kambli was unconquered on 207 (196b, 270m, 22x4, 6x6). School-mate Amol Muzumdar, with whom Kambli was involved in a 174-run unbroken alliance lasting 36.1 overs, returned undefeated on 63 (107b, 141m, 8x4).
The Mumbai batsmen have ensured that the four-day match is virtually over as a contest. The visiting batsmen extended their pathetic performance into their second essay as the scoreboard reading 112 for four at stumps on the second day suggests. Vishal Sharma (48: 108b, 155m, 8x4) and Saket Bhatia (10) wereholding fort when play ended an hour behind schedule.
Kambli, 26, had failed to touch the 50-run mark in the first three Ranji matches this season. But he has more than made up now, following his 232 not out against Saurashtra at the same venue last month with another double hundred today. It has given him an aggregate of 470 runs in the last three innings in which he has been dismissed just once.
Interestingly, three of his four double centuries that he has scored in the National Championship have been at the Wankhede.
A flurry of runs from the blades of Tendulkar and Kambli at the outset today saw the duo carry from where they had left off yesterday. A double treat was in offing with the Shardashram High School products nearing their individual hundreds. However, Tendulkar disappointed the 500-odd that turned up to witness the duo's pyrotechnics. The former Indian skipper slashed a widish Zakir Hussain delivery to the lone slip fielder Satyendra Yadav and was dismissed on 95 (99b, 142m, 17x4). But bythen Tendulkar had been part of a firm foundation worth 188 runs off just 27.3 overs for the fourth wicket.
Kambli, however, continued undeterred. A well-executed, cover-driven boundary saw him race past the 100-mark (89b, 133m, 14x4, 3x6). With the Railways' attack rarely troubling Kambli, there was little by way of respite. That 194 runs were scored in the first session is a testimony of the Mumbai batsmen's brutal dominance. It was a period when skipper Sanjay Bangar was clubbed for 23 runs in an over with Kambli smacking four boundaries, three in succession.
Kambli was also severe on Kulamani Parida -- all the six sixes he hit coming of the off-spinner.
Kambli dominated the fifth wicket-association of 174, contributing 109 runs. Just once did Kambli appear fallible -- when he was on 203. A sweep off Parida was spilled by Yadav at the square-leg fence.
Though Muzumdar's knock was overshadowed by Kambli's belligerence, he too excelled with some well-timed boundaries until Tendulkar applied closureto the innings 47 minutes into the second session.
Despite lacking discipline, the Mumbai bowlers were rewarded with four scalps in the 41 overs of play this afternoon. Wicket-keeper Sulakshan Kulkarni had reason to rejoice when he pouched his opposite number Zakaria Zuffri (15) -- his 100th catch in first-class cricket spanning 55 matches.
SCOREBOARD
Railways (1st innings): 124
Mumbai (1st innings; overnight 242-3): Amit Pagnis c Yadav b Zaman 30, Sulkashan Kulkarni c & b Zaman 45, Sanjay Manjrekar c sub (Kapoor) b Bangar 30, Sachin Tendulkar c Yadav b Hussain 95, Vinod Kambli not out 207, Amol Muzumdar not out 63, Extras (b8, lb2, w4, nb13): 27. Total (for four wickets decl in 92 overs, 402 mins): 497
Fall of wickets: 1-73, 2-107, 3-135, 4-323
Bowling: Hussain 20-1-114-1 (nb5), Zaman 11-1-81-2 (nb3, w1), Bangar 12-0-87-1 (5nb, 3w), Parida 25-2-126-0, Suresh Kumar 21-3-71-0, Bhatia 1-0-5-0, Rawat 2-1-3-0
Railways (2nd innings): SanjayBangar lbw Ranade 11, Satyendra Yadav b Mhambrey 10, Vishal Sharma batting 48, Zakaria Zuffri c Sulakshan Kulkarni b Nilesh Kulkarni 15, Saket Bhatia batting 10; Extras (b8, w1, nb2): 13. Total (for four wickets in 41 overs; 183 mins): 112
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-36, 3-45, 4-82
Bowling: Kuruvilla 12-2-35-1 (nb4), Mhambrey 10-2-26-1, Ranade 5-1-12-1 (w1), Shaikh 6-3-14-0, Nilesh Kulkarni 6-3-8-1, Kambli 2-0-9-0
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
