What's with short Ranji Trophy clashes between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu? In the 1972-73 final, Ajit Wadekar's team needed only a few minutes on the third day to beat S Venkataraghavan's hosts for the title.

Twenty-two years later, Sachin Tendulkar’s eventual champions trounced VB Chandrasekhar’s Tamil Nadu inside three days.

And on Monday, Ajinkya Rahane did something similar to demolish Sai Kishore’s team by an innings and 70 runs to enter 41-time champions Mumbai’s 48th Ranji Trophy final, to be held at Wankhede Stadium from March 10 against either Vidarbha or Madhya Pradesh.

National selector Salil Ankola was there to witness Mumbai’s victory. Ditto fellow fast bowler—BCCI’s General Manager Abey Kuruvilla—both of whom played in that 1994-95 quarter-final at Wankhede.

Also present was ex-India all-rounder Robin Singh, who top-scored for TN with a fighting 67 in the second innings. In a completely one-sided affair on Monday,

Mumbai’s bowling unit didn’t allow the visitors to offer a fight and were bowled out for a mere 162 runs in 51.5 overs. Mumbai take pride in playing session by session and their timely execution of plans resulted in a massive triumph.