A thick blanket of cloud descended over the VCA Stadium in Jamtha on Friday, limiting the final session of the Irani Cup’s third day to a mere single over. While Vidarbha remained unperturbed, the mood in the Rest of India (RoI) camp grew increasingly grim, both because of the dimming light and their precarious position on the scoreboard.
After being bowled out for a modest 214 runs earlier in the morning, RoI found themselves trailing by a substantial 128 runs. By the time stumps were officially called, Vidarbha had aggressively extended their lead to a commanding 224 runs, comfortably sitting at 96 for two wickets. The reigning Ranji Trophy champions are now firmly in control, leaving Rest of India with an almost impossible task if they hope for a miraculous turnaround.
The day had started with Rest of India resuming their innings at 142 for five. Skipper Rajat Patidar surely hoped for a resilient partnership with Manav Suthar, but those hopes were dashed immediately when Aditya Thakare trapped Suthar plumb in front with the very first ball of the day.
Despite Patidar’s valiant effort, highlighted by his trademark cover drives, wickets continued to tumble around him. Yash Thakur’s blistering pace tore through the lower order: Saransh Jain was cleaned up by a perfectly executed yorker, while Akash Deep and Gurnoor Brar fell victim to aggressive short-pitched deliveries aimed at their ribs. Amidst this collapse, Harsh Dubey brought an end to Patidar’s defiant innings of 66 (from 125 balls, including 10 fours) with a tempting delivery that induced a mistimed loft to long-off.
Vidarbha’s openers successfully navigated a challenging 45 minutes leading up to lunch. However, shortly after the break, first-innings centurion Atharva Taide inexplicably lofted a shot to deep midwicket, essentially gifting his wicket away. Aman Mokhade, who had looked confident at the crease, also succumbed to a short ball from Brar, his attempted hook finding its way to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan.
It was then up to Dhruv Shorey and Danish Malewar to steady the ship, and they did so admirably, guiding Vidarbha to a secure position before the fading light ultimately brought play to a halt. This crucial duo will now carry the weight of expectation, aiming to solidify Vidarbha’s quest for their third Irani Cup title.
Match Summary:
- Vidarbha: 342 & 96/2 in 36 overs
- Rest of India: 214 in 69.5 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 52, Rajat Patidar 66, Yash Thakur 4/66)