Gujarat 328 and 47 for 0 (Panchal 34*) need another 265 runs to beat Mumbai 228 and 411 (Nayar 91, Iyer 82, Gaja 6-121)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
With one day to go in the Ranji Trophy 2016-17 final, this much is clear: Mumbai's lead is big enough that Gujarat have to achieve the highest successful fourth-innings chase in Ranji Trophy finals history for their first title. Gujarat had a quick start to their chase of 312, ending a long day in the field positively. However, batting out the whole of Saturday could also give them the title by virtue of a first-innings lead.
By spreading the fields, bowling wide and saving runs - all within the rules, even if debatable, in the second session after taking four wickets - Gujarat allowed the game to meander until Mumbai had no option but to go for broke and set up a target.
What Gujarat did not do within the rules was bowl their overs in time - they bowled 70.1 overs in six full hours, the time which constitutes a full day of 90 overs - which could result in a third over-rate breach for Parthiv Patel, the captain, and his team.
Gujarat's openers, Priyank Panchal and Samit Gohel, played a lot more freely, compared to the first innings, in the 13.2 overs that were possible on the fourth evening before bad light ended play more than an hour after the scheduled close. They overcame a few nervy moments, but drove the side to 47 for no loss at stumps on a surface that didn't show signs of deteriorating too much.
With the cold not lifting until noon despite the presence of bright sunshine on each of the four days, the red soil surface hasn't broken up as much as Mumbai would have liked. While this could hurt Mumbai considering they have two left-arm spinners, they would believe an incisive burst upfront with the new ball on the final day come boost their quest for a 42nd title.
The lead was built largely because of Abhishek Nayar's industry. On the one hand, he had to farm the strike and ensure he didn't expose the tail-enders. On the other, he had to also keep an eye on the lead and time remaining to give his side the best possible chance of pulling off a coup. He battled hard for 146 deliveries to make 91 as Mumbai, resuming on 208 for 3 were bowled out for 411 in the final session.
Fifty-five of those runs came courtesy five sixes and a four in the final session, a far cry from the post-lunch session that yielded just 67 runs in 30 overs. After the interval, Nayar risked his wicket by taking on the fielders in the deep repeatedly, but the power in his hits was unmistakeable. Vishal Dabholkar helped Nayar put on 44 for the ninth wicket, while Vijay Gohil, who was unbeaten on 0 from seven balls, added 41 for the last wicket before Nayar fell lbw to RP Singh.
Chintan Gaja, presented an opportunity only because Jasprit Bumrah was unavailable, walked back with figures of 8 for 167, his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket in third match. The rest of Gujarat's bowlers largely played supporting roles cast on a day where wicket-taking, for large parts, wasn't even on their mind.
The only time they genuinely came close to making things happen was early in the day. Setting attacking fields worked immediately as Aditya Tare was caught at gully, attempting a cut. Replays suggested it was a tight call, which was eventually deemed no-ball. He was given another reprieve when Panchal put down a regulation catch at gully on 38. Tare's luck ran out soon after lunch, when he was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Hardik Patel, but not before he made 69.
Suryakumar Yadav ploughed along for 40 deliveries to add four to his overnight score of 45 before being strangled down leg side. With Mumbai's lead on 226, a lower-order collapse seemed on the cards when Balwinder Sandhu and Shardul Thakur fell trying to hit out. That is when Nayar took charge. He mistimed a few, slogged others, and picked out fielders. But none of it frustrated him, until it got to a point where he simply swung his way out of trouble, ensuring, in the process, that the title could possibly be decided on the final session of the final day.
