Mumbai pacers Tushar Deshpande (3-34) and Mohit Avasthi’s (3-39) fiery spells and off-spinner Tanush Kotian’s (3-35) smart variations helped the 41-time champions bowl out Uttar Pradesh for just 180 in their Ranji Trophy semi-finals in Bangalore on Wednesday. Mumbai, who scored 393 in the first innings, then ended Day Three on 133-1, taking an overall lead of 346.

Deshpande, 27, who has 51 wickets under his belt from 21 games, was aiming for what would have been his fourth first-class fifer and felt he was nearly there. “In my morning spell today, I beat the batsmen at least eight to 10 times and deserved a five-wicket haul, but was a bit unlucky. I’m not disappointed though because there could be a second innings, and if not, then the final is always there,” Deshpande, who finished the day with figures of 17-6-34-3, told mid-day from Bangalore on Wednesday.