Worst In 152 Years! Mumbai's 6-2 Carnage Forces Meghalaya To Enter Humiliating List

Shardul Thakur orchestrated Meghalaya's downfall [Source: @nikun28/X.com]

Cricket history was rewritten in the most dramatic fashion at Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex as Meghalaya crumbled to an unimaginable 6-2 during their Ranji Trophy clash against the formidable Mumbai team. The visitors’ catastrophic start marked the second-worst collapse in the 152-year records of first-class cricket, trailing only the MCC’s 0-6 disaster against Surrey at Lord’s in 1872.

In what was supposed to be a routine group-stage fixture, Mumbai, despite resting national stars Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shreyas Iyer, showcased their ruthless depth. 

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After captain Ajinkya Rahane elected to field, Meghalaya’s innings spiralled into chaos. The visitors’ scorecard read like a horror script; 6 runs for the loss of 2 wickets by the third over, sinking to 2-6 by the fourth, a not seen in first-class cricket since the Victorian era.

Meghalaya Falls Prey To Mumbai's Carnage

Meghalaya’s 2-6 now sits atop a grim leaderboard of early collapses in first-class cricket. The only worse start remains MCC’s 0-6 in 1872, while Delhi’s 5-6 against Saurashtra in 2022-23 had previously held the 21st-century record. 

Top 5 worst starts in First Class cricket

The collapse was orchestrated by Shardul Thakur, whose third over became the stuff of nightmares for Meghalaya. The India international claimed a hat-trick, only the fifth by a Mumbai bowler in first-class cricket, dismissing Balchander Anirudh, Sumit Kumar, and Jaskirat Singh with consecutive deliveries. 

If that wasn’t brutal enough, Mohit Avasthi compounded the misery by striking with the first ball of the next over, leaving Meghalaya at 2-6. The top order disintegrated in just 19 balls, with four batters registering ducks and opener Arpit Bhatewara managing a meagre 2 runs.

Mumbai In Command

After skittling Meghalaya for 86 in 24.3 overs, thanks to Thakur (3-34), Avasthi (3-27), and Sylvester D’Souza (2-14), Mumbai began their reply aggressively. Though they lost Ayush Mhatre early, trailing by just 80 runs at 6-1 (at the time of writing), the hosts appear poised to capitalize on their dominance. 

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