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Vidarbha Fights Back Strongly in Ranji Trophy Final
Vidarbha Fights Back Strongly in Ranji Trophy Final
Malewar and Nair added 215 run partnership for the fourth wicket, helping Vidarbha recover from 24 for 3.
Vidarbha's Ranji Trophy campaign this season has been marked by comebacks and unconventional strategies. At the end of Day 1 of the final against Kerala, Vidarbha scored 254 for 4 in 86 overs.
After a tough start in the first session, Vidarbha bounced back with Danish Malewar's unbeaten 138 and Karun Nair's 86 at the Jamtha Stadium on Wednesday. Nair was dismissed late in the day due to a miscommunication over a single, giving Kerala a much-needed breakthrough.
Malewar and Nair had to come in to bat earlier than Vidarbha had hoped. By the 13th over, Vidarbha were 24 for 3 due to their own mistakes.
Despite winning eight of nine matches this season, Vidarbha often faced early collapses. To address this issue, the team decided to play with just one specialist opener, Dhruv Shorey. Parth Rekhade, a bowling all-rounder, opened the innings with Shorey after Kerala chose to bowl.
After Rekhade got out in the first over, Darshan Nalkande, a lower-order batter, was sent in at No. 3 to protect the specialist batters from the fresh pitch movement. MD Nidheesh took advantage of the situation, dismissing Rekhade and Nalkande without conceding a run in his first four overs. Vidarbha were 24 for 3 when Shorey edged a delivery from Eden Apple Tom to wicketkeeper Mohammed Azharuddeen.
From that point on, it was all about Malewar and Nair. They added 215 runs together, marking their second partnership of over 200 runs this season, which helped Vidarbha recover.
Having scored 557 runs in eight matches before the final, the 21-year-old Malewar has not looked like a first-timer in first-class cricket. On Wednesday, he scored his second century of the season. With his unbeaten 138, Malewar became only the second Vidarbha batter, after skipper Akshay Wadkar, to score a century in a Ranji Trophy final.
Against Kerala, Malewar didn't spend much time in the nervous 90s. A series of boundaries and a six off Aditya Sarwate's bowling helped him reach the hundred mark. His unhurried and confident strokeplay was the highlight of his innings, which Malewar called "the best one of his career so far".
Brief scores: Vidarbha 254/4 (Danish Malewar 138*, Karun Nair 86, Dhruv Shorey 16, Yash Thakur 5*; MD Nidheesh 2-33, Eden Apple Tom 1-66) vs Kerala
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