Tons by Tavar, Chalke spell trouble for Bosco

MUMBAI: When 12-year-old Mohit Tanvar of Rizvi Springfield (Bandra) walked in to bat on Day 2 of the Giles Shield final against Don Bosco (Matunga) at the Wankhede Stadium, he had only one thing on his mind - get that century.
He had shaken off the nerves that come with playing in a final, and was batting on 54 at the end of Day 1. Tanvar knew that his team was going steady, but he needed to take the total beyond the opponent’s reach.He managed that, and in some style. He hit 13 boundaries and a six en route his 233-ball 127, taking his team’s total to 495/8.
He also forged a 178-run partnership with Tejas Chalke for the fifth wicket. Chalke too played brilliantly, before being caught on 100.
In reply, Don Bosco were struggling at 53-4 at stumps on Tuesday. Umar Khan claimed two late wickets and gave away just five runs in the five overs that he bowled.
The hero of the day, though, was undoubtedly Tanvar, who scored his third consecutive ton. And it came as no surprise when he said this century was the best of all, as it had come at an iconic venue.
"I had only dreamed of playing here (Wankhede). To score a century in my innings here is something I never imagined would be possible. We still have to bowl them out tomorrow (Wednesday) though," he told TOI after day’s play.
Don Bosco coach Rohan Navekar remained optimistic about his team’s chances. "Our batsmen are capable of batting the entire day. The most important advice I give the players is to never lose hope. That's the reason we are in the final. So I'm confident of my team not being bowled out," he said.
Brief Scores: Rizvi Springfield 495-8 decl in 135.2 overs (Mohit Tanvar 127, Tejas Chalke 100, Umar Khan 57; Chris D'Britto 3/90) vs Don Bosco 53/4 in 23 overs (Umar Khan 2/6)