Vidarbha bagged a valuable bonus point after winning its Ranji Trophy Elite Group-A match against Goa by an innings and 27 runs at the VCA Jamtha Stadium here on Thursday.
The host’s charge was briefly stalled by a fighting knock from Manthan Khutkar (70, 160b, 4×4, 5×6), but Harsh Dubey struck four times post-lunch to ensure that it ended victorious.
Khutkar and captain Abhinav Tejrana picked up where they had left off the previous evening, relentlessly blocking through the opening spell from Rajneesh Gurbani and Nachiket Bhute.
The first bowling change fetched a wicket as Yash Thakur bowled Tejrana while Snehal Kaunitkar fell soon after to Gurbani.
Lalit Yadav joined Khutkar, and the duo returned to a defensive approach until the latter launched Bhute for a six.
Khutkar took a liking to the left-arm spin of Parth Rekhade, hitting him for three sixes.
However, their hopes of survival were dealt a blow when Lalit’s attempted defensive shot ballooned into the hands of short-leg just before lunch. Dubey broke the game open after the break, tricking Khutkar and Yash Kasvankar into glancing catches to leg-slip, while Darshan Misal departed caught behind attempting to cut Aman Mokhade.
With defeat imminent, Shivendra Bhujbal managed to launch a couple of lusty blows, but Shubam Tari was run-out to seal a comfortable victory for the home side.
The scores: Goa — 1st innings: 220.
Vidarbha — 1st innings: 442/8 decl.
Goa — 2nd innings: Suyash Prabhudessai lbw Bhute 6, Manthan Khutkar c Samarth b Dubey 70, Abhinav Tejrana b Yash 14, Snehal Kauthankar c Wadkar b Gurbani 1, Lalit Yadav c Bhoye b Rekhade 26, Shivendra Bhujbal (not out) 45, Yash Kasvankar c Samarth b Dubey 0, Darshan Misal c Wadkar b Mokhade 3, Ruthvik Naik lbw b Dubey 15, Vasuki Koushik c Samarth b Dubey 0, Shubam Tari run out 0; Extras (b-8, lb-3, w-4); 15; Total (in 76 overs): 195.
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-48, 3-49, 4-122, 5-128, 6-128, 7-145, 8-177, 9-177.
Vidarbha bowling: Bhute 10-3-19-1, Dubey 19-6-38-4, Yash Thakur 11-2-20-1, Rekhade 16-5-54-1, Gurbani 11-4-20-1, Mokhade 9-1-33-1.
Published – October 30, 2026 12:00 am IST
