Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Mumbai spinners put Chhattisgarh in trouble on Day 3
Musheer Khan had a forgettable outing with the willow, but the youngster made up for it with the ball and provided Mumbai with crucial breakthroughs as the domestic giant gained an upper hand over Chhattisgarh on Day 3 of their Ranji Trophy Group D league match at the MCA-BKC ground on Monday.
After Mumbai added 10 runs to its overnight tally and folded up for 416, Chhattisgarh rode on Ayush Pandey (50, 89b, 7×4) and Shashank Chandrakar’s (43, 112b, 5×4, 1×6) 85-run opening stand to frustrate the fast bowlers.
However, things changed suddenly with left-arm spinner Himanshu Singh breaking the partnership as Angkrish Raghuvanshi claimed a sharp catch at silly point to remove Ayush. Himanshu, coming in for Tanush Kotian, added one more to his wicket tally by dismissing Chandrakar.
With the surface offering substantial turn, Musheer was brought into the attack to tighten the noose, and he struck just before Tea as Chhattisgarh lost four quick wickets to end another rain-affected day at 175 for 6, trailing Mumbai by 241 runs.
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As the day progressed and the batters found it difficult to tackle the spinners, Musheer trapped Sanjeet Desai leg before, and shortly after Tea, removed captain Amandeep Khare. As Ajinkya Rahane grabbed a low-diving catch at slips, Khare raised concerns, but the umpires remained firm on their decision.
Musheer’s second spell proved to be the turning point as he managed to trick the Chhattisgarh batters, before the seasoned Shams Mulani returned to action with two quick strikes.
As wickets tumbled, hopes were high for Shashank Singh. But the IPL star was far from impressive as he struggled against spin through and through. He, however, survived as Tushar Deshpande couldn’t hold on to a catch at long-off.
With overnight rains leading to a wet outfield, it was a delayed start, and with further interruptions, only 64 overs could be bowled.
Earlier in the day, before the Mumbai spinners took charge, Aditya Sarwate completed his five-wicket haul.
Published on Oct 27, 2025
