Seamers Mukesh Choudhary and Rajneesh Gurbani struck lethal blows as Maharashtra thumped Baroda by a whopping 439-run margin in a Group A league match, a result that kept defending champions Mumbai alive for the knock-out stage of Ranji Trophy, here Sunday. Trying to save the game and get a point in the bargain was Baroda’s primary objective on the final day as chasing 617 was simply out of question but they failed miserably and were all out for just 177 in 36 overs. Maharashtra’s victory has left Mumbai in a tricky spot to qualify for the knockout stage.
Former CSK left-arm seamer Mukesh took 5 for 76 while Gurbani, who has switched first-class side from Vidarbha to Maharashtra had 3 for 54 to show for his efforts.
Jammu and Kashmir are on top of group A with 29 points from six games followed by Baroda, who are on 27 points from equal number of matches. Mumbai remained on 22 from six games after their defeat to J&K on Saturday.
However Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Maharashtra has created an opening for the 42-time champions as Baroda will now have to at least get a first innings lead against Jammu and Kashmir in their final game.
If Baroda gets three points, then both Baroda and Jammu and Kashmir, with 30 points each will qualify for the knock-out stages while Mumbai will be out in the group league stage itself.
Mumbai play their last match against wooden spooners Meghalaya, who will be relegated to ‘Plate Group’ having lost all their six games.
It is expected that Mumbai, who will play at BKC will thump the minnows and get another seven points from the game, which will take their tally to 29 from seven games.
But to qualify for Mumbai will need Jammu and Kashmir to at least take a first innings lead if not win outright, which will take their tally to 32 and Baroda will be stuck at 28.
In case Jammu and Kashmir lose and stay put on 29 and Mumbai win with bonus points, then net run rate (NRR) will be the deciding factor.
None of the other five teams– Tripura, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Services, Odisha have any chance of qualification.
Rajasthan vs Vidarbha
Skipper Akshay Wadkar’s brilliant century and spinner Harsh Dubey’s 10-wicket match haul steered Vidarbha to a stunning 221-run victory over Rajasthan in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B game, here on Sunday.
Captain Wadkar (139), Yash Rathod (98), and all-rounder Nachiket Bhute (87) played crucial knocks in the second innings, guiding Vidarbha to a commanding total of 428/9 declared.
Left-arm spinner Dubey (5/51 in 19 overs) then sealed the match with his outstanding performance, completing a 10-wicket haul as Rajasthan were bowled out for just 107, despite Vidarbha starting with a 100-run first-innings deficit.
The win earned Vidarbha (36) six points, solidifying their position at the top of the points table.
In a tricky situation in the second essay, Wadkar first partnered with Rathod to forge a vital 94-run stand.
After Rathod, who fell agonisingly short of his century, was dismissed, Wadkar and Bhute put on a massive 172-run partnership that firmly put Vidarbha in control.
Resuming at their overnight score of 358/7, Vidarbha added 70 more runs on day four before declaring their innings, setting Rajasthan a daunting target of 329 runs.
Wadkar’s 269-ball innings featured 14 fours and a six, while Bhute struck six fours and three sixes in his entertaining knock.
The 22-year-old Dubey and off spinner Akshay Wakhare (3/2 in 6.3 overs) then dismantled Rajasthan’s batting lineup, sharing eight wickets between them to bowl out the hosts in just 43.3 overs.
Rajasthan began their chase on a steady note, with both openers looking comfortable. However, Shubham Kapse provided Vidarbha with the breakthrough, dismissing opener Zubair Ali (22).
Dubey, who had taken five wickets in the first innings, struck again, dismissing Abhijeet Romar and Deepak Hooda in quick succession.
Rajasthan continued to lose wickets at regular intervals as Dubey and Wakhare bowled superbly in tandem, sealing a comprehensive victory for Vidarbha.
In other Group B matches, Andhra drew with Puducherry while Hyderbad defeated Himachal Pradesh by an innings in 43 runs.
Brief Scores
In Nasik: Maharashtra 297 and 464/7 decl. Baroda 145 and (target 617) 177 in 36 overs (Mukesh Choudhary 5/73, Rajneesh Gurbani 3/54). Maharashtra won by 439 runs. Points: Maharashtra 6 Baroda 0.
In Agartala: Tripura 212 and 375/7 decl (Mandeep Singh 124 not out, Bikramkumar Das 85, S Sharath 66).
Services 294 and (target 276) 101 in 19.1 overs (Ravi Chauhan 53). Match Drawn. Points: Tripura 1 Services 3.
In Shillong: Meghalaya 198 and 294 in 92.2 overs (JS Sachdeva 82, Sunil Roul 4/61).
Odisha 548/7 decl. Odisha won by an innings and 56 runs.
In Jaipur: Vidarbha 165 and 428/9d in 138.1 overs (Akshay Wadkar 139, Yash Rathod 98, Nachiket Bhute 87; Kukna Ajay Singh 5/104) defeated Rajasthan 265 and 107 all out in 43.3 overs (Zubair Ali 22; Harsh Dubey 5/51) by 221 runs.
In Puducherry: Andhra 303 and 319/6d in 82.4 overs (Karan Shinde 119 not out; Ankit Sharma 3/83) drew with Puducherry 260 and 152/0 in 46 overs (Ganga Sridhar Raju 75 not out, Jay Pande 59 not out; Lalit Mohan 0/39) *In Hyderabad: Hyderabad 565 in 168.5 overs beat Himachal Pradesh 275 & 247 (Shubham Arora 66, Ankit Kalso 44; Tanay Thyagarajan 6/118, Anikethreddy 4/46) by innings an 43 runs.
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