The experience of defending champions Mumbai came through as they clinched a nail-biting six-run win over Karnataka to win the Ranji Trophy here Sunday for the 39th time.Karnataka got closer to the 338-run victory target through exciting prospect Manish Pandey (144) and Ganesh Satish (75). Even after their dismissal, the lower order hung on for a win before Ajit Agarkar (5-81) got the last wicket of S. Aravind (10) to bowl out the home team barely short of a win at the Gangothri Glades Cricket Ground.The Mumbai team celebrated the victory as the crowd, which had gathered in full capacity expecting the home team to win, fell silent.Nobody though would have gone back disappointed as both teams played good cricket for four days as the match swung both ways with the wicket providing assistance to bowlers as also having something for the batsmen


Karnataka resumed Thursday needing another 203 runs for victory with Pandey and Satish at the crease.Pandey, who has been a revelation throughout the season and is the highest scorer with 882 runs, produced a brilliant knock under pressure. He got support from Satish who stood solid even as Pandey went after the bowling. The duo came together with Karnataka at a precarious three for 46. They remained unseparated adding 89 runs Wednesday and came back Thursday to play some attacking shots.Pandey's 151-ball knock had 18 fours and one six while Satish struck nine fours in 215 balls. Pandey took charge against off-spinner Ramesh Powar using his feet to play strokes against the veteran off-spinner.It was another youngster Iqbal Abdulla (2-31), who broke the 209-run partnership dismissing Pandey caught at slip by Wasim Jaffer. Abdulla then removed Amit Verma to trigger the slide.Mumbai sensed victory and put pressure on the lower order. Stuart Binny (17), Sunil Joshi (16), Vinay Kumar (15) tried to hit their way through, and Mumbai got the wickets. The last pair of Aravind and Abhimanyu Mithun needed to score 16 runs but Agarkar kept his nerve to get the victory for Mumbai.Karnataka were in terrific form throughout the season as their pace battery repeatedly kept the opposition on the backfoot. They began in the final on the right note with the combination of Vinay Kumar (4-61) and Abhimanyu Mithun (3-56) bowling out Mumbai for 233 in the first innings.But Mumbai fought back and packed off the hosts for 130, taking a first innings lead of 103 runs. Seamers Aaviskar Salvi (5-31) and Dhawal Kulkarni (2-52) extracted good purchase from the track that had an even tinge of grass.Mumbai consolidated the lead through Abhishek Nayar (50) and Kulkarni (87) before Mithun (6-71) and Vinay Kumar (3-78) triggered a lower order collapse to bowl them out for 234.Mumbai were looking down the barrel with five for 51, before Nayar and Kulkarni added 95 runs. Pandey took a sensational air-borne diving catch in the boundary region to get rid of Nayar. It was again Pandey, who with the bat revived Karnataka's chase after the top-order crumbled.