Two young medium-pacers from Vadodara engineered the famed opposition's fall from grace on the opening day of their four-day Ranji Trophy encounter. Yogendra Wakaskar (20), with a career-best haul (5-58), and Ashish Tandon (4-34) helped Vadodara overcome their defeat in the one-dayer yesterday with an inspired bowling display.

Mumbai had lost openers Wasim Jaffer (1), Amit Pagnis (2) and skipper Vinod Kambli (0) with just five onthe board. Visions of catastrophe against Uttar Pradesh, when Mumbai were shot out for a paltry 90 earlier this year, loomed large.

However, southpaw Jatin Paranjape (48) and Pravin Amre (63) restored sanity into the Mumbai ranks with a stand of 91. But the revival was truncated when Paranjape miscued a hook off Tandon.

Vadodara got the breakthrough they needed as the next five wickets crashed for the addition of 76 runs.

Both Tandon and Wakaskar reaped rewards for their intelligence in exploiting a track offering assistance after Mumbai were put into bat. Wakaskar struck first, inducing Jaffer to edge behind. The 24-year-old Tandon's lateral movement then landed a crippling double blow, claiming Pagnis and Kambli in the same over. The Amritsar-born bowler repeated the act by dismissing Paranjape and Dighe in his 14th over that put paid to Mumbai aspirations.

Wakaskar wasn't far behind. The wiry lad ran through the lower order plucking three wickets, two of them in successive deliveries (ParasMhambrey and Abey Kuruvilla) in his last spell of the innings (3-0-16-0).

Openers Prayan Dave (9) and Connor Williams (2) were intent on defence as Vadodara began on a cautious note in the remaining 45 minutes.

All is still not lost for Mumbai as far as the contest is concerned, but it is their batting display that is a cause for concern.

SCOREBOARD

Mumbai (1st innings): Wasim Jaffer c Mewada b Wakaskar 1 (14b, 16m), Amit Pagnis c Dave b Tandon 2 (10b, 21m), Vinod Kambli c Jadhav b Tandon 0 (1b, 2m), Jatin Paranjpe c Bedade b Tandon 48 (110b, 146m, 6x4), Pravin Amre lbw Wakaskar 63 (189b, 286m, 7x4), Sameer Dighe c Martin b Tandon 0 (1b, 2m), Sairaj Bahutule c Swaroop b Wakaskar 14 (61b, 73m, 1x4), Paras Mhambrey c Mewada b Wakaskar 12 (54b, 58m, 1x4), Abey Kuruvilla c Mewada b Wakaskar 0 (1b, 1m), Nilesh Kulkarni c Tandon b Arothe 13 (28b, 24m, 2x4), Manish Patel not out 0 (7b, 14m).

Extras: (1b, 5lb, 2w, 11nb) 19. Total: (all out in 77.2 overs, 325 mins) 172

Fall ofwickets: 1-4, 2-4, 3-5, 4-96, 5-96, 6-128, 7-156, 8-156, 9-165.

Bowling: Tandon 21-8-34-4 (2w), Wakaskar 21-6-58-5 (11nb), Sivaramakrishnan 7-1-27-0, Bedade 2-0-4-0, Swaroop 16-8-17-0, Arothe 10.2-1-26-1

Vadodara (1st innings): Prayan Dave batting 9 (35b, 45m), Connor Williams batting 2 (31b, 45m).

Total: (for no loss in 11 overs) 11

Bowling: Kuruvilla 6-4-3-0, Mhambrey 3-1-5-0, Patel 2-1-3-0