Shams Mulani leads Mumbai towards an innings victory

Mulani took on the majority of the bowling duties, sending down 36 of the 94.3 overs bowled and ending with impressive figures of 6/115. In the absence of his usual bowling partner Tanush Kotian, who was on tour in Australia, the young Himanshu Singh stepped up as his replacement. Singh adapted brilliantly, changing to around-the-wicket lines and taking 3 crucial first innings wickets from his end.

Odisha No 3 Sandeep Pattnaik was the one to put up some resistance, playing a stroke-filled chanceless 102 (187b, 11x4, 4x6). Mumbai, having started the season slowly, declared, to make a push for the bonus point. On a pitch that wasn’t taking much turn because of the grass cover, Mumbai’s spin twins Mulani and Singh combined well to pick up 4 second innings wickets between them.

“I am happy for the 5-fer. For myself and also because the team needed it,” Mulani said. “It was tough to bowl because there wasn’t as much turn on offer. Even the wickets that Himanshu got were off the slower ones. The margin of error was very limited. I tried to change angles, speeds, use my crease more. Thankfully, it paid off.”

Mulani is in the long list of left-arm spinners vying for an India berth. After having played some India A matches at home, Mulani lost out to Manav Suthar for the A tour of Australia.

“It is disappointing (to miss out). That is how life is. There are lot of people who don’t get selected who should get selected. My job is to keep bowling, keep batting and keep up my standards,” he said. “There’s a storm inside me but not many can see it. I have to keep grinding here. These are tough tracks where you can have to bowl long spells, bowl throughout the day and showcase fitness levels.”