Mumbai: Sandeep Pattanaik completed a fighting century but that didn’t help Odisha avoid a follow-on in their Ranji Trophy clash against mighty Mumbai.
Bowled out for 285 in reply to Mumbai’s massive first-innings total of 602/4 declared, Odisha were tottering at 126/5 in the second innings at close on the third day of the Elite Group A game at Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground.
A second successive innings defeat stares Odisha in the face as they need 191 more runs to make Mumbai bat again.
Pattanaik, who resumed this morning on 73, added 68 runs for the sixth wicket with Debabrata Pradhan (45). The No. 3 batter, who stood among the ruins on Thursday, reached his fifth first-class century with a six off Shams Mulani. But the left-arm spinner had his revenge two balls later as Odisha’s top-scorer played the ball on to his stumps after making 102 (187 balls, 11×4, 4×6).
Mulani finished with a six-wicket haul, and had the distinction of dismissing Pattanaik twice in one day as he had him caught by substitute fielder S Addhatrao for 39 in the second innings.
After openers Anurag Sarangi and Swastik Samal fell cheaply at the start of the second innings, Pattanaik and Aashirwad Swain, who was promoted to No. 4, promised a fightback briefly. The duo added 56 for the third wicket, but Pattanaik’s dismissal triggered another batting collapse.
Skipper Govinda Poddar managed just one run while Biplab Samantaray (26) was dismissed off the day’s last delivery.
Off-spinner Himanshu Singh followed his three-wicket haul in the first innings with another three scalps in the second. He and fellow-spinner Mulani have accounted for 13 of the 15 wickets Odisha have lost thus far.
Young wicketkeeper-batter Swain showed good temperament and discipline to be unbeaten on 46 at stumps. But he will need immense support at the other end if Odisha hope to pull off a miraculous draw.
Brief Scores
Mumbai 1st innings: 602/4 declared.
Odisha 1st innings: 285 (Sandeep Pattanaik 102, Debabrata Pradhan 45, Aashirwad Swain 37; Shams Mulani 6/115, Himanshu Singh 3/53).
Odisha 2nd innings (following on): 126/5 (Aashirwad Swain batting 46, Sandeep Pattanaik 39; Himanshu Singh 3/45).
Match position: Odisha need 191 runs to make Mumbai bat again.
Play to continue on fourth & final day.
