Mumbai openers Sahil Kukreja (66) and Wasim Jaffer(55) forged a 118-run stand to help the hosts take a healthy 107-run first innings lead against Karnataka on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Division Group A tie in Mumbai on Sunday.
At stumps, the hosts were 302 for seven wickets in 85 overs, replying to the visitors' meagre first innings tally of 195, and could have been in a much stronger position had not some batsmen thrown away their wickets.
Karnataka hit back after lunch by removing both the openers and Ajinkya Rahane in the space of 10 balls, pacer N C Aiyappa taking two of these, but Ranji debutant Prashant Naik steadied the innings with Amol Muzumdar (23).
Naik, playing his third first class tie after making his debut against Karachi Urban of Pakistan in the Mohd Nissar Trophy tie batted sensibly to make an attractive 78 in 152 balls with the help of nine fours and a six.
He looked good for another ton but was run out while responding to a call for a sharp single by Ajit Agarkar (not out 20) after having added 43 runs.
Earlier, Naik put on 48 runs with skipper Muzumdar and 44 runs with left-hander Abhishek Nair, who struck 24 in 18 balls before becoming one of three victims, ensnared by left arm spinner Sunil Joshi.
In the morning, Mumbai folded Karnataka after the visitors added six more runs to their overnight total.
Mumbai, for whom Agarkar captured the last Karnataka wicket with the second new ball, were off to a confident start with Jaffer and Kukreja stroking well.
Anil Kumble came on to bowl after the 13th over and Joshi after the 22nd replacing the former, but the openers sailed on merrily to take Mumbai to 110 for no loss at lunch, with both Jaffer and Kukreja having completed their half centuries.
Aiyyappa broke the stand soon after lunch when Jaffer was a bit late in bringing his bat down to a yorker and was bowled off the inside edge after a stay of 139 minutes.
Rahane fell for a duck when he was trapped leg before by Joshi's arm ball and then Aiyappa dismissed Kukreja after a stay of 147 minutes in which he faced 95 balls by luring him with a ball that moved away a bit and took the edge.
Suddenly Karnataka looked to have fought back, but Naik and Muzumdar exercised caution and prevented a collapse.
Kumble removed Muzumdar by trapping his counterpart leg before when he tried to flick, but Nair started in aggressive fashion and hit the rival captain off the attack by hitting the ace leggie for three fours in an over.
But the all rounder undid his good work by attempting a reverse sweep off Joshi and fell leg before. Ramesh Powar too looked in too much of a hurry and top-edged a pull off Joshi after hitting a four and a six.
However, Naik guided Mumbai from 231 for six to 274 with Agarkar before being run out, and then the latter and Vinayak Samant (13 not out) prevented further damage.
Karnataka took the new ball at the fag end, but Mumbai looked well-poised at stumps.
Scorecard
Karnataka (1st innings) (Overnight 189-9):
B Rowland c Samant b Agarkar 00
K B Pawan c Rahane b Agarkar 11
R Dravid c Muzumdar b Powar 40
C Raghu c Samant b Nair 31
Yere Gaud st Samant b Powar 05
T Naidu c Samant b Verma 33
B Akhil c Samant b Agarkar 57
S Joshi lbw Powar 06
A Kumble lbw Powar 00
R Vinay Kumar c Samant b Powar 04
N C Aiyappa not out 02
Extras (lb 3, nb 3) 06
Total (all out in 93.5 overs) 195
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-23, 3-72, 4-78, 5-97, 6-145, 7-164, 8-166, 9-172
Bowling: Agarkar 15.5-4-25-3, Verma 20-6-42-1, Powar 29-7-69-5, Nair 12-4-17-1, Abdulla 17-4-39-0.
Mumbai (1st innings):
S Kukreja c Naidu b Aiyappa 66
W Jaffer b Aiyappa 55
A Rahane lbw Joshi 00
A Muzumdar lbw Kumble 23
P Naik run out 78
A Nair lbw Joshi 24
R Powar c Raghu b Joshi 10
A Agarkar batting 20
V Samant batting 13
Extras (b 2, lb 3, nb 8) 13
Total (for 7 wkts, in 85 overs) 302
Fall of wickets: 1-118, 2-121, 3-125, 4-173, 5-217, 6-231, 7-274
Bowling: Vinay Kumar 15-4-37-0, Aiyappa 13-2-43-2, Akhil 12-1-45-0, Kumble 22-3-85-1, Joshi 20-0-67-3, Raghu 3-0-20-0.
