Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Siddhesh unhappy at not seeing out the day despite scoring a well-crafted century
Experience told on the opening day as captain Siddhesh Lad’s well-paced century steered Mumbai into a commanding position.
With 530 runs already this Ranji Trophy season, including four tons and a half-century, Siddhesh entered the clash as a man capable of shaping any contest. He lived up to that billing on Thursday, his composed 104 (179b, 10×4, 2×6) putting the visitor firmly in control at stumps.
Despite the milestone, he admitted to some disappointment at not batting through the day.
“I would have been happy to not be out, personally. But I think 332 is a good score having lost four wickets. A score of 500-plus would be good on this wicket. We’re just looking at the first innings right now and not the result,” he said.
If Sarfaraz Khan’s free-flowing knock seemingly questioned the credentials of the surface, Siddhesh was quick to set the record straight.
“It wasn’t easy to bat on. Some balls were kicking from length, the spinners were keeping the ball a bit low, while some were turning. It’s a very competitive wicket and not easy to bat on,” he clarified.
“I would like to appreciate the way my openers batted. It looked like it was easy but it was not. They saw off the new ball, which was very important for us. Because coming to face the new ball and getting out would have been much worse.”
The Mumbai skipper revealed that playing a supporting role to an aggressive Sarfaraz was a conscious tactical decision.
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“Whenever the runs are coming from the other end, it’s my responsibility as the captain and a senior player to keep one end intact, because we can’t score runs from both ends all the time. I knew that if Sarfaraz plays, he will strike at a good rate. And if I keep one end intact, it will be great for us.”
The 33-year-old’s attempt to accelerate in the latter half of the innings, he said, was equally deliberate.
“This has been my pattern this season. Earlier I used to play with the same momentum throughout. But now I feel that I need to change it at some point to score big runs. That is what I am trying. Whenever I get that chance, I have to make the most of it.”
With much attention on Mohammed Siraj in his match leading Hyderabad, Siddhesh revealed that Mumbai’s plan against the 31-year-old was straightforward. “He is a world-class bowler, and our only plan was to play him out. He is someone who, if he gets one wicket, will get more. He has that quality.”
Published on Jan 22, 2026
