Mumbai, Dec 1: Mumbai were 262 for seven at the end of Day 1 of their four-day Ranji Trophy encounter against Bengal. At stumps, Dhawal Kulkarni (24*) and Ramesh Powar (1*) were at the crease at the Brabourne Stadium.

Asked to bat by Manoj Tiwary, the Rohit Sharma-led side lost three wickets early in the innings including that of the captain himself. Back in the side after a three-match hiatus, Wasim Jaffer replaced Surya Kumar Yadav in the XI and opened the batting for the hosts with Kaustubh Pawar. Jaffer was dropped at short-leg for five off Veer Pratap Singh and then by Arindam Das at second slip on 16 off Laxmi Ratan Shukla.

However, Iresh Saxena gave the visitors their first breakthrough with wicket of opener Kaustubh Pawar. Wriddhiman Saha was quick to flick the bails off to send back the batsman for 15. Shukla then dealt two quick blows with the wickets of Hiken Shah and Sharma off consecutive overs to send Mumbai on the back foot. Shah who has been a key run-scorer for Mumbai this season with two centuries in the last two matches, was caught by the wicketkeeper and returned without opening his account. Six runs later, Sharma walked back to the pavilion after adding just one run to the total. The Mumbai captain edged Shukla to the ‘keeper to leave the team at 46 for three.

Abhishek Nayar then came in to then join Jaffer at the crease. It was left to the two batsmen to stabilise and take the Mumbai innings forward. Jaffer who had got off the mark with a boundary in the first over off Shami Ahmed and reached his half-century with a boundary off Saxena was batting on 60 with Nayar on 18 when lunch was called.

Jaffer who has been an important cog in the Mumbai line-up for years, once again helped revive the innings with Abhishek Nayar at the other end. Although he got off to a shaky start, Jaffer went on to score 80 off 151 with some breathtaking drives. The duo had added 104 runs for the fourth wicket before Shukla struck again in the first over of his second spell to end the partnership post lunch. Midway into the second session, just after Nayar reached his fifty and Mumbai the 150-mark, Jaffer was caught by Abhishek Jhunjhunwala at extra cover, 20 short of a century. A while later, Nayar who was looking in sublime touch dragged a Veer Pratap Singh delivery on to the stumps to depart for 62.

With half the side back in the dressing room for 172, Ankeet Chavan joined Aditya Tare in the middle and the two took Mumbai to 181 for five at tea. Scoring at a quick pace, they took Mumbai past the 200-run mark in the last session of the day and later brought up the fifty partnership off 71 balls. Mumbai wicketkeeper Tare was then removed by Saxena for 38 ending the partnership for 56, while Shukla claimed Chavan as his fourth scalp of the day a bit later.

Dhawal Kulkarni who had commenced his innings with a couple of sixes off Saxena after replacing Tare was involved in a 14-run unbroken partnership with Powar.

Although the Bengal bowlers kept the Mumbai batsmen on their toes, their fielding was not up to the marks.

Brief scores:

At the end of Day 1: Mumbai 1st innings 262/7 in 90 overs (W Jaffer 80, A Nayar 62, L R Shukla 4/35)