Madhya Pradesh beat Mumbai by 6 wickets in Ranji Trophy final to end long wait for domestic title

Madhya Pradesh, it was a long-drawn one that spanned 23 years. When they laid hands on their maiden Ranji Trophy, they did it in some style against an opposition that fought and threatened until the last session on the final day. Whether it was through a quirk of fate or just destiny, MP registered a six-wicket victory over Mumbai at the M Chinnaswamy stadium - a venue where they played their first title clash, and lost, to hosts Karnataka. Chandrakant Pandit, then captain and now coach of the team, was stoic throughout this match, but broke down when Rajat Patidar (30 n. o, 37b, 4x4) brought up the victory. It was a nervy one, despite Madhya Pradesh's firm grip on the match.

While the rest of the team rushed to join Patidar and skipper Aditya Shrivastava in the middle, Pandit looked up at the sky, lips moving in prayer, and allowed the moment to sink in before he jogged over to join the team. It was his sixth Ranji Trophy title as coach, having guided Mumbai thrice and Vidarbha twice to the crown. It has been a season of dominance for Madhya Pradesh, who won outright four of the five matches they played en route to the final. Individual brilliance was amalgamated with team spirit, a combination that proved too deadly for 41-time champions Mumbai.

The hunger to win was evident as the team arrived in the city three weeks before the knockouts to acclimatise and get some game time, which included a practice match against Karnataka. Pre-match favourites Mumbai will rue missed opportunities, especially the dismissal of Patidar off a no-ball when he was on 52 in the first innings. He went on to add 70 more runs, which proved to be a game changer.

Mumbai were bowled out for 269 in 57.3 overs in their second innings, which