Irani Cup 2024: Ajinkya Rahane unbeaten on 86 as Mumbai reach 237/4 against Rest of India on Day one

New Delhi: Skipper Ajinkya Rahane made heavy weather of it for a superior hour but indirectly showed a sort of concentration to notch up an unbeaten 86 off 197 balls to lead his team to 237 for four on the tip of a rain-curtailed opening day in the Irani Cup against Rest of India.

Ajinkya Rahane, a veteran with over 5000 runs in 85 Tests, showcased his resilience and concentration to anchor Mumbai at 237 for four. In spite of now not being in the national selectors’ current plans, Rahane stood firm against the strong bowling of Mukesh Kumar (3/60 in 14 overs) and Yash Dayal (1/46 in 15 overs).

Shreyas Iyer (Fifty seven off eighty four balls) and Sarfaraz Khan (Fifty four batting, 88 balls) were tad a more adventurous in seeking to get a move on in the sixty eight overs of play conceivable on Tuesday.

The fact is, Rahane played the 2nd fiddle at some point soon of his 102-run fourth wicket stand with Iyer after Mukesh had reduced them to 37 for 3 in his first spell.

At stumps, Rahane had the company of Sarfaraz and the duo had ninety eight runs for the fifth wicket and are taking a look to consolidate on the 2nd day.

For somebody, who has 12 Test hundreds in his forty first-class tons, Rahane wasn’t exactly very assertive at some point soon of his stay on the wicket. He has thus a protracted way hit six fours and a six over long-off off left-arm spinner Manav Suthar’s bowling.

He did hit a pair of crisp boundaries through off-side but overall never looked like on top of the ROI bowling.

The fact is aside from that six and a boundary, Suthar kept him quiet with only 22 runs taken off fifty eight balls bowled by the Rajasthan spinner.

Against Prasidh Krishna, he faced 38 balls but managed to attain only seven runs.

While a century would do no harm to his reputation but Rahane, whose brilliant leadership at some point soon of the historic 2021 series win in Australia is a part of Indian cricketing folklore, would dominate domestic attacks if he remotely harbours any hope of getting a national recall.

The fact is, Iyer became more attacking against the lanky Karnataka speedster hitting him for five out of his half of a dozen boundaries.

Both sixes — one each and every off pacer Mukesh and off-break bowler Saransh Jain — were treat to appear at sooner than Dayal prised him out.

Sarfaraz took on Suthar and got three boundaries off the left-arm spinner.