Photo via Hindustan Times

Tushar Deshpande's brilliant fifer puts Mumbai in charge

Mumbai’s Tushar Deshpande delivered a masterclass on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy opener against Chandigarh, turning the game on its head with a five-wicket haul that put his team in commanding control. Bowling in sweltering 37°C heat at Wankhede Stadium, Deshpande’s 7-1-17-5 spell included a hat-trick—dismissing Arslan Khan, Arjun Azad, and Shivam Bhambri in quick succession before finishing off Raj Bawa with a leg-before-wicket.

Chandigarh collapsed from 429 in their first innings to just 78 in the second, leaving Mumbai with a 351-run lead and the decision to enforce the follow-on. Deshpande capped his day with a sixth wicket in the final over, making it a 6-for-1 in total.

The 50th First-Class game of his career was already special, but his relentless accuracy and tactical brilliance ensured it would be remembered as one of his finest performances.

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