3 min readMumbaiNov 2, 2026 06:26 PM ISTFILE - Mumbai opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi in action. (MCA)Railways needed to make the most of the helpful conditions on a hazy morning if they had to be competitive against in-form Mumbai. But openers Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Divyaansh Saxena negotiated the tricky period expertly before late wickets stalled their progress on the first day of the Ranji Trophy fixture at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday.Their century opening partnership was useful as apart from the 98-run stand between skipper Siddhesh and Sarfaraz Khan, there were no other substantial contributions, as Mumbai ended the day at 247/6.Mumbai has won all their games in the season so far, and Railways needed to come up with something special to challenge them. They had hoped to utilise the first session when bowlers traditionally get some joy but the Mumbai openers had other ideas.Raghuvanshi and Saxena were selective in their stroke-play, aiming to bat as long as they could while cashing in on the loose balls. When the openers returned unbeaten at lunch, it seemed that Railways were in for a long leather hunt.But the complexion of the game changed at the restart as Saxena fell prey to Himanshu Sangwan after a stand of 109.Musheer Khan nicked one behind as Mumbai lost two wickets in a span of three overs. Then Raghuvanshi was caught behind to give Sangwan his second wicket of the day.At 128/3, Mumbai seemed in danger of frittering away the hard work of the first session. That’s when Lad and Safaraz bailed them out. The duo batted with caution and stopped the bleeding before the captain found a thick inside edge going back on to the stumps.Story continues below this adIt was the start of another mini-collapse as Sarfaraz, who was batting beautifully, departed for 55. They would have hoped that Suryansh Shedge, fresh from a call-up to the national squad, will come to their rescue in his first game of the season. But his innings lasted just 10 balls as he was caught at cover, as Railways managed to get three quick wickets for 12 runs.Their bowlers stuck to their task and waited for Mumbai batsmen to make mistakes. It also appeared that the pitch slowed down in the final session. At stumps, wicketkeeper Aaksh Anand and Shams Mulani were batting on 16 and 2 respectively.Brief scores: Mumbai 247 for 6 (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 78, Sarfaraz Khan 55; Himanshu Sangwan 3 for 32) vs Railways© The Indian Express Pvt LtdHaving spent years covering Mumbai’s local "maidan" cricket circuit, Devendra Pandey brings a unique... Read MoreStay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement