Top knock: Shorey played an effortless and timely 74.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
Dhruv Shorey gave a solid start. Danish Malewar played an innings with flair. Karun Nair appeared effortless at the crease. But neither of them could convert their knock into a real big one.
As a result, despite crossing the 300-run mark, Vidarbha would feel far from being comfortable at the end of the opening day’s proceedings of its Ranji Trophy semifinal against powerhouse Mumbai.
With Shivam Dube using the heavy ball and Shams Mulani striking with his accuracy, Vidarbha ended day one at 308 for five on a batting-friendly strip at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium here on Monday.
With Vidarbha having employed lower-order bat Parth Rekhade at No. 3 to take the shine off the ball, Mumbai will know its pacers will have to strike early with the second new ball – five overs old – on the second morning.
Royston Dias, the left-arm pacer who bowled first change, extracted additional bounce and inward movement in his second over to surprise Atharva Taide who haplessly saw the ball kissing his glove en route to keeper Akash Anand.
But Shorey was effortless at the other end. After being patient for the first 45 minutes, he went after Mohit Avasthi in the 10th over. He struck a hat-trick of boundaries – a fierce cut, a top-edge over the cordon and an off-drive. Left-hander Rekhade frustrated the Mumbai bowlers at the other end but was finally pouched in the slip cordon by a lunging Suryakumar Yadav off Dube.
Shorey, however, missed a cut off a short of a length ball by Mulani that turned and bounced slightly as the edge lobbed to Ajinkya Rahane at first slip off the ‘keeper’s gloves.
Vidarbha’s Malewar in action during the Ranji Trophy semifinal between Mumbai and Vidarbha.
| Photo Credit:
EMMANUAL YOGINI
Malewar – who had lofted Mulani over his head for a six early in the innings – and Karun were proactive at the crease and did not let Tanush Kotian settle into a rhythm.
But Karun was adjudged caught behind soon after tea. While the DRS referral showed a spike, the batter was convinced the ball had missed the bat.
Malewar then played across the line and gifted his wicket to Mulani before Rathod and Wadkar saw the day off.
The scores: Vidarbha – first innings: Atharva Taide c Anand b Dias 4, Dhruv Shorey c Rahane b Mulani 74, Parth Rekhade c Suryakumar b Dube 23, Danish Malewar c Anand b Mulani 79, Karun Nair c Anand b Dube 45, Yash Rathod (batting) 47, Akshay Wadkar (batting) 13; Extras (b-1, lb-6, nb-13, w-3): 23; Total (for 5 wkts. in 88 overs): 308.
Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-93, 3-144, 4-222, 5-261.
Mumbai bowling: Shardul 14-0-57-0, Avasthi 14-2-61-0, Dias 11-2-26-1, Kotian 22-0-78-0, Dube 9-1-35-2, Mulani 18-3-44-2.
Toss: Vidarbha.
Published – February 17, 2025 07:04 pm IST
