Ranji Trophy: Gujarat nose ahead against below-par Mumbai

INDORE: Can Gujarat become the first team in domestic cricket to win every title across formats by the end of this game? Parthiv Patel & Co. have already clinched the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 title twice and emerged victorious in the Vijay Hazare Trophy last season. If they keep their nerves intact, the 'underdogs' have a chance of upsetting Mumbai's applecart at the Holkar Stadium here and lay their hands on the Ranji Trophy for the first time.

At close on Day Two of the final, Gujarat edged into a 63-run lead, with four wickets in hand, against a listless Mumbai. After dismissing the defending champions for 228 on Tuesday, Gujarat slipped to 37 for two, before fighting back through Bhargav Merai (45, 100b, 7x4), Parthiv Patel (90, 146b, 12x4) and Manprit Juneja (77, 95b, 11x4) to finish at 291 for six. Gujarat's lead could've been far more had they not lost Juneja's wicket to what was a definite 'no ball' from paceman Shardul Thakur.

The batsman waited for the third umpire's decision after being caught and bowled while trying to pull a short delivery, and replays suggested that Thakur had indeed overstepped the line, albeit marginally.