Mumbai's in-form skipper Prithvi Shaw slammed a 122-ball 165 and powered his team to a comfortable 72-run win over Karnataka in the semi-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Delhi on Thursday. (More Cricket News)
Mumbai will meet Uttar Pradesh in the final at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Sunday. In the other semi-final, UP defeated Gujarat by five wickets.
Owing to Shaw's brilliance, Mumbai posted 322 after being put in to bat at the Airforce ground before bowling out the opposition for 250, with their bowlers putting up a splendid performance.
It was Shaw's show all the way as he toyed with an experienced Karnataka attack, and went on to register his fourth century of the tournament, hammering 17 fours and seven maximums.
Shaw had earlier scored three tons, including a double -- 105 not out against Delhi, 227 not out against Puducherry and 185 not out against Saurashtra. He has amassed 754 runs so far in the tournament -- the single highest in an edition of the national ODI championship.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (6) fell early, with Mumbai at 11/1. But Shaw went on the offensive and spared no bowler even as wicket-keeper Aditya Tare (16) played second fiddle to his marauding partner at the other end.
Shaw and Tare rallied the innings and forged a 71-run stand for the second wicket. Leggie Shreyas Gopal (1/82) broke the partnership after castling Tare.
However, the diminutive right-hander kept on playing his shots. He raced to his fifty in 48 balls and then completed his second successive ton in 79 deliveries. He found an able ally in all-rounder Shams Mulani (45; 4x4), who played his role to perfection.
The two added 159 runs for the third wicket with Shaw being the more aggressive one. Mumbai notched up the team's 200 in 34.1 overs.
Shaw, who now holds the record for highest individual score in the tournament and highest score by an Indian in List A chase, continued to pummel the attack into submission and completed his 150 in 111 balls.
Karnataka pegged back Mumbai by dismissing both the set batsmen in quick succession as they slipped to 243/4.
Aman Khan (25), Shivam Dube (27) got starts but failed to convert as the Karnataka bowlers, led by pacer V Vyshak (4/56), rattled the Mumbai middle and lower order.
Chasing 323, Karnataka lost skipper R Samarth (8). Then Devdutt Padikkal (64) and Siddharth KV (8) tried to rally the innings, with their 68-run-stand, but it was 22-year-old off-spinner Tanush Kotian (2/23), who inflicted Karnataka a double blow by dismissing Siddharth and skipper Manish Pandey.
Leg-spinner Prashant Solanki (2/61) put Mumbai on top after castling the dangerous Padikkal, who was in ominous touch, and had by then smashed nine fours and a six. Karnataka were reeling at 97/4 at that stage.
Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani (2/47) got the better of Karun Nair (29) as Karnataka lost half their side for 134, while Yashashvi got the better of Shreyas Gopal to leave them staring at 152/6.
BR Sharath (61) delayed the inevitable and tried to put up a fight, but that wasn't enough.
Padikkal ended the tournament with 737 runs.
Brief Scores: Mumbai 322 (Prithvi Shaw 165; Shams Mulani 45, V Vyshak 4/56; M Prasidh Krishna 3/64) beat Karnataka 250 (Devdutt Padikkal 64; BR Sharath 61; Tanush Kotian 2/23, Tushar Deshpande 2/37) by 72 runs.
