A maiden hundred for Shivam Dubey and career-best bowling figures for Tushar Deshpande kicked off Mumbai's Ranji Trophy season when they drew their Elite Group A opening game against Railways in Delhi on Sunday.

Photo credit: Tushar Deshpande/Instagram

Batting first, Mumbai found themselves at 98 for 3 before a 129-run partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and Siddhesh Lad steadied the ship. Captain of Triumph Knights Mumbai North East in T20 Mumbai, Yadav scored 83 while Lad missed his century by a whisker. The Shivaji Park Lions batsman departed for 99, unable to reach the landmark in front of his father present at the ground watching his son play after more than two years.

Mumbai team's Siddesh Lad bats with a mask on, in the Delhi haze, during a Ranji trophy game. Won't be surprised if we start seeing more players wearing helmets & caps with masks attached while playing matches in the future. #AirPollution #DelhiPollution pic.twitter.com/9jYQdzfhh1

— Sameer Hashmi (@sameerhashmi) November 2, 2018

Another Shivaji Park Lions star, Shivam Dubey managed to score his maiden First Class ton in only his second match. His 114 came in just 139 balls at a strike rate of 82.01, and was laced with 13 fours and 4 sixes.

Walking in 230 for 5, the southpaw forged a 79-run stand with Lad and then a 56-run partnership with skipper Dhawal Kulkarni for the seventh wicket, and departed shortly after taking Mumbai past the 400-run mark.

With a score of 411, Mumbai took the field with purpose as they reduced Railways to 115 for 6. The opposition, however, managed to fight back and post 307 before getting bundled out. Tushar Deshpande, who played for ARCS Andheri, picked up five of the last six wickets for his second career five-wicket haul and his best figures of 6-70.

With a lead of 104, Mumbai came out to bat again with Lad's 76, Aditya Tare's unbeaten 100 and Dubey's 69* in just 99 balls pillaring the innings total of 321/5.

Deshpande was named Man of the Match for his efforts.