There was so much space between Vijay Shankar's bat and pad that an ambitious property shark could have raised a sky-kissing tower, the kind which would easily blend with the skyline that surrounds the MCA-BKC Complex where Tamil Nadu tumbled to 146 all out after opting to bat.

Mumbai were 45/2 at stumps. The steel-and-glass structures also dictate the conditions after all. As Mumbai pacer Tushar Deshpande, whose three-wicket haul contributed to Tamil Nadu's collapse, explained, the tower to the left of the pavilion covers the pitch in its shadow for a couple of hours after the start, leaving the moisture in the wicket for that much longer. The buildings and the elements played their part but Shankar scripted his own downfall. For 167 minutes, he hadn't put a foot wrong. But the first time he went fishing outside off, Shankar edged Shardul Thakur to second slip. Shankar's immediate reaction after attempting the shot was subtle - a facepalm. He then stood motionless, slapped the bat on his bat and began the long walk back. Then again, it wasn't the first time a Tamil Nadu batsman was in disbelief upon his dismissal. N Jagadeesan looked accusingly at the pitch. Pradosh Paul flailed his left arm in frustration. Sai Kishore didn't hang around to see the damage caused to his stumps. While Baba Indrajith Kishore waited, and waited more, before reluctantly trudging back. Each one of them, back to the pavilion inside the first hour-and-a-half, had a look of being betrayed by the conditions. But the barebone analysis will reveal it was largely their doing. And arguably, it started with the decision Tamil Nadu made after winning the toss. Sulakshan Kulkarni, Tamil Nadu's coach who had coached Mumbai to a Ranji title a few years back, boasted on the match eve that Mumbai cricket was at his 'fingertips'. That confidence evaporated by the time for the toss and captain Sai Kishore looked indecisive. His eventual decision, to bat first, even surprised Mumbai. Shankar would later say the batsmen had to 'respect' the conditions - damp track that offered a bit of bounce, with a considerable green cover but bald in the full-length region. But his teammates did everything but that. On a pitch where soft hands and playing close to the body was vital, they did the opposite.