Vidarbha won their third Ranji Trophy title following a first-innings lead that proved decisive after they held Kerala to a draw by playing out the match. The 37-run first-innings lead turned out to be the difference as it ensured Vidarbha's victory on the fourth day. Starting the fourth and final day with a 286-run lead and six wickets in hand, Vidarbha extended the lead further by adding 126 runs, leaving Kerala short of the target before the two sides decided to settle for a draw.
Vidarbha Tightens Stranglehold on Last Day
The day started slowly, and overnight centurion Karun Nair fell for 135 after missing a delivery and being stumped. At this point, Kerala required an unthinkable collapse from Vidarbha if they were to stand a chance of pulling off a successful chase. But Akshay Wadkar and Harsh Dubey consolidated the innings, ruining Kerala's bowling attack.
Eden Apple delivered a turning point after the drinks interval by sending Dubey packing, and Aditya Sarwate raised Kerala's hopes briefly when he dismissed Wadkar for 25 off 108 balls. But Darshan Nalkande and Akshay Karnewar then took their time to bat for 20 vital overs, running out of time for Kerala to launch a comeback.
Match Ends in a Draw, Vidarbha Celebrates
After lunch, Kerala was able to take two wickets, but Nalkande's counter-attacking batting further raised Vidarbha's lead well past 400. The two sides decided to conclude the game the moment Nalkande attained his fifty. Danish Malewar, who got a century for his team in the first innings, was presented the Player of the Match, and Harsh Dubey the Player of the Tournament.
Brief Scores:
- Vidarbha: 379 (Danish Malewar 153; MD Nidheesh 3/61) & 375/9 (Karun Nair 135, Danish Malewar 73; Aditya Sarwate 4/96)
- Kerala: 342 (Sachin Baby 98, Aditya Sarwate 79; Darshan Nalkande 3/52)
