Andhra, shot out for a meagre 116 in the first innings in reply to Mumbai's mammoth 515 for 9 declared, put up a much better display following on but still faced a huge task to save an innings defeat on the third day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Division Group A tie on Saturday.

At stumps, Andhra was on 133 for 4 in 65 overs in their second innings, still 266 runs short of making reigning champions and hosts bat for the second time.

Andhra, bundled out in only 55.3 overs - 53 minutes before lunch - to concede a big 399-run first innings lead to the home team, started well after following on by putting on 78 runs for the first wicket before losing four wickets for 16 runs.

Mumbai's lanky left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni grabbed all the four Andhra second innings wickets to fall in the space of 6.2 overs after going wicketless in the first essay.

The visitors then made a partial recovery through the unfinished fifth wicket stand worth 39 runs between Amit Pathak (59) and Yalaka Gnaneswara Rao (16).

Pathak braved an injured hand that forced him to retire midway through his innings and then resumed to remain unbeaten after a stay of more than three hours during which he faced 130 balls and struck ten fours.

In the morning, Andhra lost their last five wickets for the addition of only 57 runs after resuming at 59 for five.

Medium pacer Santosh Shinde gave Mumbai the breakthrough in the morning after Andhra resumed their innings by getting rid off Raja Vasireddy Prasad for 8.

Spinners Ramesh Powar and skipper Sairaj Bahutule then ripped out the bottom after Andhra captain Manava Prasad (32, 123 m) and Syed Kadri Shahabuddin (23, 36 b, 4x4) helped the visitors cross the 100 mark with a stand of 33.

But after the sixth wicket partnership was broken by Bahutule, who dismissed Shahabuddin, the Andhra innings quickly folded up. Prasad was ninth out after facing 88 balls and hitting four boundaries.

Bahutule claimed three wickets while Ajit Agarkar, who started the slide yesterday with a two-wicket burst in 7 balls, Shinde and Powar bagged two wickets apiece.

Following on, Pathak and Reddy took the score to 68 without being separated when the former was hit on the hand by Shinde and had to retire to the pavilion.

Mumbai took full advantage of this stroke of luck when Kulkarni, who got the ball to turn and bounce, trapped new batsman Alluri Verma leg before to make Andhra 78 for one.

This triggered a slide as the India discard got rid off Reddy, who made 33 in an obdurate stay of 154 minutes, Venugopala Rao and Prasad in quick succession.

Rao, touted as an India hopeful, disappointed for the second time. He was deceived by a faster, full length ball from Kulkarni and gave a tame return catch while Prasad edged a ball spinning away from him to second slip.

Scorecard

Mumbai (1st Innings): 515 for 9 decl.

Andhra (1st Innings): (overnight 59-5)
A Pathak b Shinde 1
L Reddy lbw Agarkar 12
A Verma run out 11
Y Venugopal Rao c Samant b Agarkar 5
M S K Prasad c Samant b Powar 32
Y Gnaneswara Rao c Shetty b Bahutule 8
R Prasad c Mane b Shinde 8
B Shahabuddin c Indulkar b Bahutule 23
M Faiq lbw Bahutule 0
D Kalyankrishna st Samant b Powar 1
V Appa Rao not out                         3

Extras: (b 3, lb 6, nb 3) 12

Total: (all out in 55.3 overs, 233 mins) 116

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-23, 3-33, 4-36, 5-45, 6-70, 7-103, 8-108, 9-108.

Bowling: Agarkar 15-7-21-2, Shinde 14-7-26-2, Bahutule 17-5-43-3, Powar 5.3-2-7-2, Kulkarni 4-2-10-0.

Andhra (2nd Innings):
A Pathak batting 59
L N P Reddy c Samant b Kulkarni  33
A S K Verma lbw Kulkarni 8
Y Venugopal Rao c and b Kulkarni 5
M S K Prasad c Indulkar b Kulkarni 4
Y Gnaneswara Rao batting 16

Extras: (b 1, lb 5, nb 2) 8

Total: (for 4 wkts, in 65 overs) 133

Fall of wickets: 1-78, 2-85, 3-89, 4-94

Bowling: Agarkar 8-2-22-0, Shinde 6-3-6-0, Kulkarni 20-7-32-4, Bahutule 17-8-29-0, Powar 13-1-36-0, Muzumdar 1-0-2-0.