So we leave you here. This has been another exciting year of Ranji Trophy. Twelve weeks later, Mumbai suggesting all is well with the world as they take the title again. Thanks for following it on Cricinfo. Cheers
The top of the Ranji Trophy has come off as it is being handed over to Agarkar. perhaps about time to give this one to Mumbai for keeping, and get a new one for the upcoming tournaments. It's in three pieces now as Mumbai players proceed towards the chairs that have been lined up for them to sit in and pose for the cameras
Time for the presentation
"Very happy," says Ajit Agarkar. "We are a proud bunch of guys. Couldn't be happier. New players settled quickly, which was our strength. It's always important you lead from the front and not take your place for granted. We have all grown up knowing the history of Mumbai, and we always try to live up to it. I am sure some would have liked him [Tendulkar] to keep playing one-day cricket, but for us it has worked out well."
"A great moment to get a hundred in the finals," says Wasim Jaffer, Man of the Match. "We have been playing touch cricket, but once we qualified for the knockouts we did really well. Once we get them out for 148, it was important to bat well, and that's what we did. The bowlers did the job really well. Probably this wicket had much more help for the bowlers, so it was a good decision to bowl first. Kulkarni has been bowling well. He was unlucky in the league stages, but in this match he got the wickets too."
"It is very disheartening," says Jaydev Shah. "They outplayed us in every department. We need to learn from them, and next year we will come back stronger. We have come to the final, which is good. Vishal Joshi, Kamlesh Makvaan, Jaydev Unadkat... everyone did well"
Jubilation. Kulkarni runs back to pluck the stumps. Mumbai in a huddle. Happy faces all around. Tendukar as chuffed as any man. Their analyst breaks into a dance. Kulkarni has come back with the ball. Wasim Jaffer is more blase, befitting a man who has done this eight times. Ranji Trophy No. 40 out of 44 finals. Karnataka, Delhi, Holkar and Haryana are the only teams to have beaten Mumbai in a final. They just somehow turn it on in the final. And how they turned it on here. Played five bowlers, won the toss, put Saurashtra in, ran through them, did enough with the bat, and absolutely demolished them in the second
c8w: "Quadruple Quest update: Under-16 final officially drawn, Bombay win title by virtue of 489-run first innings lead (Armaan Jaffer ends with 56*, 1036 runs at 94.18 for the season; Ranji: won; Under-25: won; Overall: 3 down, 1 to go; Maharashtra refusing to allow the quad, however - Mah 294, Bombay 131-5.."
Rags: "If like in other sports one could keep the trophy after 3 wins, imagine the number of Ranji Trophies BCCI would have had to make just because of Mumbai..!!"
SanjayN: "Congrats Mumbai. Now, we can look fwd to Irani, let's hope Pujara is selected by RoI, and Zaheer is fit for Mumbai - else I don't see how he can make the Tests against Australia."
DA Jadeja c †Tare b Kulkarni 22 (47m 35b 3x4 0x6) SR: 62.85