While the rest of the line-up caved in to Mumbai’s pace attack, Arpit Vasavada played a determined 77-run knock to keep the team from being bowled out on the first day of the Ranji Trophy 2015-16 final. The middle-order bat dropped anchor and determinedly toiled to extend the innings after they were reduced to 108 for seven. He found an able partner in debutant Prerak Mankad, a batting all-rounder who can bowl pace and was brought into the side for those qualities. The middle-order bat who eventually got out at the stroke of stumps, said, “There was some help for the bowlers in the morning and throughout the day, the ball was moving a bit. It was tough for the batsmen to score runs. They bowled a very disciplined line but the lower-order partnership with Prerak was very helpful.” The Dhawal Kulkarni-led attack had claimed the top three batsmen to leave Saurashtra reeling at 36 for three. The pacer had taken two of the three wickets, including that of Cheteshwar Pujara to put the batting side under pressure. “He is the mainstay of our team, but it is a team and we are doing well as a unit as well. We won the quarterfinal where Sagar (Jogiyani) and Sheldon (Jackson) scored centuries and Pujara got out in the 40s. Still we have some good players but yes, Pujara is the mainstay.” While he himself had dug his heels in to ensure that the team wasn’t bowled out until the end of the day, Vasavada was done in by Kulkarni with the second new ball. Disappointed to get out after having done the hard yards, the batsman said, “I concentrated hard the whole day. I was there from the morning and just three balls – it was a matter of just three balls (until stumps). So I am very disappointed.”

Asked about the problem that Kulkarni pose to the team, he said, “I thought it was a good day for him. He bowled well today. He was hitting the right areas in the morning and with the second new ball as well.” Speaking about the track in Pune which the Mumbai pacers had dominated, he said, “Obviously the toss plays its part on such wickets (a green top) because there is movement for the bowlers. There was some moisture in the wicket in the morning. It will dry out tomorrow as well, but toss is vital.” With Kulkarni finishing the day with a four-for like he had in the previous final and with Vasavada once again being the highest run-getter for Saurashtra on Day 1 like he was in the 2012-13 final, a reference to the previous encounter which Saurashtra had lost was inevitable. “Actually we got out for 148 in the first innings last time but I think we are in a decent position today because of the partnership with the lower-order,” the batsman said pointing out the difference between the two matches. Discussing his plan when he came in to bat and with the team being tested by the pacers, he said, “I didn’t have any plan in my mind. I just went out and played one ball at a time. There was movement in the morning. They started bowling a disciplined line; outside the off stump line. So I needed to be patient and had wait for the loose balls. That’s what I did. “The movement and the moisture has dried out, so not much movement after lunch, but now with second new ball there is movement, so it hasn’t changed much. If we can score 230-250, I think it will be a good score on this wicket. Let’s see what happens because Jaydev Unadkat has been batting well this season and Prerak is also still there,” he concluded.