Medium pacer Harvinder Singh claimed a six-wicket haul as Railways hit back against defending champions Mumbai on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Elite 'A' league cricket tie at the Karnail Singh stadium in Delhi on Monday.
The right-arm seamer made amends for the disappointment of the first day and picked six wickets for 75 as he ripped through the Mumbai middle order and put the hosts back on track.
The visitors, resuming at a healthy 261 for three, were bowled out for 361 half an hour after lunch.
At stumps on second day, Railways were sitting pretty at 111 for three, with Tejinder Pal well set on 37 and Shreyas Khanolkar on 20.
Harvinder made the second new ball tell as he claimed the wickets of Vinod Kambli and Ramesh Powar in the space of five balls, with only two runs added to the overnight score.
He then returned after lunch to dismiss wicketkeeper batsman Vinayak Samant (32) and Avishkar Salvi.
J P Yadav (2-67) provided the right support from the other end while captain Sanjay Bangar scalped his Mumbai counterpart Sairaj Bahutule (29), who added 31 vital runs with Ajit Agarkar for the seventh wicket.
Railways wicketkeeper Sudhir Wankhede had five catches to his name at the end of the innings.
It was a brilliant fightback by Railways, who had invited Mumbai to bat on a placid wicket and watched the champions roll on Sunday.
Twenty-six-year old Harvinder, however, said he did not do anything different but it was only that luck favoured him today.
"[Sanjay] Bangar said 'bowl to a line' and we stuck to it. If you get wickets, it is a nice feeling. But when you know you are bowling well, it gives you the confidence," he said.
Agarkar maintained a steady line for Mumbai but Salvi struggled for rhythm. He was even cautioned for running on the danger area.
Amit Pagnis (22) gloved a shorter one from Agarkar to be caught behind and the bowler followed it up by sending Bangar's off stump cart-wheeling.
Tejinder Pal Singh was in ominous form as he pulled Salvi for a six and four when the right arm fast bowler came around the wicket.
Siddarth Verma, who made a promising debut last year with a 79 against Punjab, was timing the ball well before Nilesh Kulkarni had him caught at silly point.
Scoreboard
Mumbai (1st innings):
V Mane c Verma b Harvinder 6
W Jaffer c Wankhede b Yadav 157
V Indulkar c Wankhede b Harvinder 28
A Muzumdar c Wankhede b Yadav 62
V Kambli b Harvinder 1
R Powar c Wankhede b Harvinder 0
S Bahutule c Wankhede b Bangar 29
A Agarkar b Parida 12
N Kulkarni not out 19
V Samant c Bangar b Harvinder 32
A Salvi b Harvinder 0
Extras: (b-4, lb-2, w-3, nb-6) 15
Total: (all out in 133.5 overs) 361
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-127, 3-261, 4-263, 5-263, 6-275, 7-306, 8-312, 9-361.
Bowling: Harvinder Singh 31.5-8-75-6, J P Yadav 34-12-67-2, Sanjay Bangar 25-9-45-1, G Shankar Rao 18-3-57-0, Kulamani Parida 23-2-95-1, Shreyas Khanolkar 2-0-16-0.
Railways (1st innings):
A Pagnis c Samant b Agarkar 22
S Bangar b Agarkar 16
Tejinder Pal Singh batting 37
S Verma c Mane b Kulkarni 8
S Khanolkar batting 20
Extras: (lb-3, nb-5) 8
Total: (for 3 wickets in 44 overs) 111
Fall of wickets: 1-42, 2-53, 3-82.
Bowling: Ajit Agarkar 15-3-38-2, Avishkar Salvi 12-3-29-0, Nilesh Kulkarni 9-3-16-1, Ramesh Powar 6-0-19-0, Sairaj Bahutule 2-0-6-0.
