Gurav, Mundhe seal Times Shield title for Air India

MUMBAI: How the mighty have fallen! Tata Sports Club, 11-time Times Cricket Shield A Division champions, threw in the towel against defending champions Air India after just four sessions of the four-day final at the MCA's Bandra Kurla ground on Wednesday.
Bowled out for 148 on the opening day, Tata's chased the leather for the second session of day two at the end of which Air India reached 253 for seven -- a lead of 105. Tata skipper Ramesh Powar told the umpires they were conceding the final.
"Our bowling was depleted. We had four substitutes fielding. It was tough to continue," said Powar.
For the second day running, Ajit Agarkar, who had led in the opening games, couldn't take the field to bowl because of an attack of flu. Ishan Jaggi was also sick. Young left-arm spinner Gaurav Jathar felt pain in the shoulder of his bowling arm and went off. The only hope for Tata's was Wilkin Mota, who kept on bowling with fire and heart. In fact in his first over Mota had the overnight Mohamed Kaif caught behind by Sufiyan Shaikh at his overnight score of 37.
Tata's hopes of making a match of it were doused by the other overnight batsman, Onkar Gurav (83, 147 balls, 14 fours) and Shrikant Mundhe (39), who added 100 for sixth wicket to shut the door on a Tata fightback.
Gurav had done the rescue act with a hundred against Western Railway earlier in the season. A former India Youth keeper Gurav is vying for the Mumbai keeper's slot that will fall vacant after Vinayak Samant's exit with Aditya Tare and Sufiyan Shaikh. Competent glovework and batting as he displayed in this final won't harm his chances of selection. Gurav showed great temperament. He had a sound defence and was always looking for runs with on-drives, cuts and drive through the covers. He didn't lift the ball much. At the other end, Mundhe who had rocked Tata's with his seven wickets on the opening day, also showed his ability with the bat with bold strokes in front of the wicket.
By the time Mundhe was caught behind off Chintan Shah, who seemed a forgotten man in the bowling line-up getting just six overs, the die had been cast for an Air India triumph.
There was some comic relief towards the end when change bowler Sahil Kukreja had four slips for lefthander Ankit Chavan. Kukreja had bowled one ball to complete the over when Jathar left the field. He got 10 more overs from skipper Powar as he kept it tight and had the bonus of the wicket of Gurav who was out on the pull shot.
A happy Air India coach Praveen Amre said, "I wish Gurav had got a hundred. They always count. It was a great win considering we lost the toss. Mundhe's seven wickets were great considering that the BKC pitch has reputation of being a bowler's graveyard."
Skipper Hrishikesh Kanitkar said, "Winning back-to-back titles was satisfying, it's always tough to retain the trophy. The youngsters gelled nicely." The skipper has been part of all the AI teams that have won the shield.
National selector Narendra Hirwani, a former AI player, who makes it a point to be at the Times Shield matches, said, "The final didn't turn out as well contested as we wanted it to be. But our lads are a confident lot."
Manager Shekhar Varadkar said, "This has been a grand season. Both our teams played the BCCI's Corporate Shield final and the team led by Yuvraj won. I am happy we have won the Times title yet again."
Brief scores:
Tata Sports Club 148 lost to Air India 253/7 (Dheeraj Jadhav 29, Mohamed Kaif 37, Onkar Gurav 83, Shrikant Mundhe 39, Wilkin Mota 3-34, Ramesh Powar 2 for 51) -- conceded