At the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, on Day 4 of the Ranji Trophy final between Vidarbha and Kerala, a crucial change has occurred that could control the outcome of the competition.
Kerala came out to bowl for the second time of the day, trailing Vidarbha’s 379 by 37 runs. With Parth Rekhade and Dhruv Shorey leaving very cheaply, the Sachin Baby-led team struck quite early.
However, the reliable duo of Karun Nair and Danish Malewar contributed to the establishment of stability. They had contributed a vital 181 runs for the third wicket in the first innings, and their adaptability was a reflection of that.
After lunch, Karun Nair put on a superb display, scoring an incredible 132* to alter the game’s outcome.
Malewar skilfully incorporated him, stabilising the innings and guaranteeing that the scoreboard continued to rise without any losses. However, when Akshay Chandran dismissed him for 73, the hitter was unable to turn his knock into a century, unlike in the second innings.
With the exception of early breakthroughs, Vidarbha hitters shown remarkable tenacity at the crease, while Kerala bowlers were hopeless the entire day. Nevertheless, with one wicket apiece, Aditya Sarvate and Saxena’s spin combination appeared to be the most effective. In retrospect, however, Kerala had nothing noteworthy to be proud of on the fourth day in Jamtha.
Nair and captain Akshay Wadkar will start batting again on the fifth and final day after Vidarbha scored 249 at Stumps for the loss of four wickets. Since even a draw would earn them a trophy based on a first innings lead, which allowed Kerala to advance to the semifinals and finals, the two will try to bat as long as they can.
Day 5 will be the last chance for the first-time finalists to rally and attempt to catch up to the target in the little time remaining tomorrow.
India
