The pitch on the third day of the final played flat and true and MP’s batsmen needed patience and determination to make an impact. They had both in tons. Opener Yash Dubey chose temperament over temptation and in the process set the tone with a gritty century (133; 336b, 14x4) that spanned a remarkable 546 minutes of monk-like concentration. The other two batsmen who starred on the day – Shubham Sharma (116; 215b, 15x4, 1x6) and Rajat Patidar (batting 67; 106b, 13x4) – simply followed suit. The three batsmen have been the cornerstone of MP’s batting unit this season and delivered yet again. At stumps, MP were at 368/3, just six runs away from Mumbai’s first-inning total of 374. Mumbai bowlers haven’t been tested much this season and it showed as they toiled and sweated and had little to show for their effort. They did have their opportunities but fluffed them with uncharacteristic tardiness.