Siddhesh Lad led from the front on his debut as Mumbai’s full-time Ranji Trophy captain, holding the innings together, as the home team reached 249 for five against Chandigarh on the opening day of the new season at the Wankhede Stadium here on Sunday.
On a sultry afternoon, Lad’s patient yet composed knock (80 n.o., 176b, 8x4), along with a half century by Musheer Khan (65, 149b, 4x4), ensured Mumbai recovered from an early setback on a pitch with a greenish tinge.
Chandigarh captain Manan Vohra had little hesitation in asking Mumbai to bat, and Jagjit Singh Sandhu justified the decision by having Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal caught at second slip in his second over. Jaiswal was drawn into a false drive to be caught at second slip for a blob.
Mumbai’s Musheer Khan in action during the first day of the Ranji Trophy match against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, October 10, 2026. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
Ayush Mhatre (48, 82b, 7x4, 1x6) and Musheer then set about rebuilding, displaying contrasting styles. Mhatre, who took 12 balls to get off the mark, showed restraint against Chandigarh’s pace trio, refusing to chase deliveries in the fifth- and sixth-stump channels. When Jagjit strayed, though, the young opener responded with three well-timed boundaries — two drives and a cut — in the same over.
Musheer, meanwhile, relied on his unorthodox but effective defensive technique to frustrate the visitors. The pair laid the foundation for Mumbai before Mhatre, closing in on a half-century, was beaten by seam movement from Rohit Dhanda.
Chandigarh’s Rohit Dhanda bowls on the first day of the Ranji Trophy match against Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, October 10, 2026. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
Lad and Musheer adopted an ultra-defensive approach for much of the second session, but Dhanda struck twice towards its end. Musheer poked at a delivery outside off-stump and was caught behind, before his elder brother Sarfaraz shouldered arms to one that swung in and was adjudged leg-before.
At 144 for four, Mumbai needed another partnership to prevent the innings from unravelling. Akash Anand provided brief support before falling to left-arm spinner Nishunk Birla, who extracted turn in the final session.
Lad, however, began to open up, and Shams Mulani joined him in scoring freely during the final half-hour to take Mumbai to stumps without further damage.
Chandigarh’s Rohit Dhanda celebrates taking Ayush Mhatre’s wicket on the first day of the Ranji Trophy match against Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, October 10, 2026. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
The scores: Mumbai — 1st innings: Yashasvi Jaiswal c Bhambri b Jagjit 0, Ayush Mhatre b Dhanda 48, Musheer Khan c Rana b Dhanda 65, Siddhesh Lad (batting) 80, Sarfaraz Khan lbw b Dhanda 1, Akash Anand c Arslan b Birla 22, Shams Mulani (batting) 27; Extras (b-1, w-1, nb-4): 6; Total (for five wkts. in 84 overs): 249.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-77, 3-142, 4-144, 5-184.
Chandigarh bowling: Jagjit 18-4-53-1, Dhanda 15-4-44-3, Bawa 12-5-32-0, Birla 20-0-64-1, Kashyap 18-0-53-0, Azad 1-0-2-0.
Toss: Chandigarh.
