Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian once again led Mumbai’s lower-order resistance after Haryana pacers had pushed the defending champion on the backfoot in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals here at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.
Mulani and Kotian joined hands after Mumbai was left reeling at 113 for seven inside 30 overs and stitched a 165-run stand for the eighth wicket to end the opening day at 278 for eight.
The duo knocked around the ground for nearly two sessions. With the pitch easing out, both Mulani and Kotian didn’t miss any opportunity to play their shots and kept the scoring rate more than three runs an over throughout.
“We were looking to stretch the total past 200 when we were six down. Tanush and I have a good understanding; we communicate well, so there were no issues,” Mulani said after the day’s play.
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Mulani missed out on his second First-Class hundred by nine runs as a leading edge gave a return catch to off-spinner Jayant Yadav with just five minutes to stumps. To his admission, he “played a wrong shot.”
Mumbai has been subject to batting collapses on multiple occasions this season. Against Jammu & Kashmir, the team collapsed to 47 for seven when Kotian and Shardul Thakur got the team to 120. In the second innings as well, the pair added 184 for the eighth wicket after being reduced to 101 for seven.
The lower-order trio of Mulani (310 runs), Shardul (396), and Kotian (237) has bolstered the batting lineup down to number nine, showcasing a gritty, Khadoos (stubborn) approach – an attitude often associated with Mumbai cricket.
“The lower order has a never-give-up attitude. Even in the match against Jammu & Kashmir, it was a similar situation, and Shardul-Tanush put on a partnership. We have a long batting order. Tanush has entered the Test team, and Shardul has already played for India, so we have experience,” Mulani said.
“In these situations, the opposition thinks we might get all out, but that’s where we try to capitalise as lower-order batters. These are crucial runs – that’s what we talk about in meetings as well, that these runs eventually become vital. Even from the bowling perspective, these runs are important. So that’s what we focus on,” the 27-year-old explained.
Mulani made his First-Class debut in the 2018-19 season and made an impact the following season, where he scored 514 runs and picked up 26 wickets with his left-arm spin in eight games. In the previous two seasons, the all-rounder averaged more than 28 with the bat, scoring 775 runs in 21 matches, and claimed 104 scalps.
He entered the 2024-25 season with a similar approach, without tweaking anything in his game, and has had memorable outings so far this season. “I don’t like changing my approach; I try to stick to whatever works for me. I do small tweaks and adjustments after looking at the wicket, otherwise I haven’t made any changes. If the ball is in my range, I’ll hit, or else I’ll try to absorb the pressure. I think that’s what I do well,” Mulani, who has picked 25 wickets so far, said.
For him, consistency is the only thing that will lead him to an opportunity to play for the Indian team. “I need to show consistency every season to get a chance into the Test team or any Indian side. Consistency is very important for the player. Every year, I try to consistently perform across the departments and help the team so if it is written, I will get an opportunity,” he said.