Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Vidarbha make strong start in semifinal against Mumbai

The two-time champions didn't have a big partnership, but they had enough middling stands to see them cross 300-run mark after Mumbai had sent down 88 overs in the day

Nagpur: Danish Malewar’s gritty 79 and opener Dhruv Shorey’s attractive 74 made up for a gritty batting show by hosts Vidarbha as they reached 308 for 5 against defending champions Mumbai on the first day of their Ranji Trophy semi-final here on Monday.

Karun Nair, who is back in contention for a Test team berth, scored a chiselled 45 before he seemed distinctly unhappy with a caught-behind decision of Shivam Dube’s bowling although he had opted for DRS.

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While the two-time champions didn’t have a big partnership, but they had enough middling stands to see them cross 300-run mark after Mumbai had sent down 88 overs in the day. Mumbai bowlers were also guilty of bowling as many as 13 no balls during the course of the opening day. Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani (2/44 in 18 overs) was easily the best bowler on the day as he got appreciable bounce and some amount of purchase from the Jamtha track.

Dube (2/35 in 9 overs) also had a couple of wickets but one of them was more so because of a splendid one-handed diving catch by Suryakumar Yadav in the slip cordon. That Mumbai failed to make more inroads was because the two new ball bowlers Shardul Thakur (0/57 in 14 overs) and Mohit Avasthi (0/61 in 14 overs) were way off the mark with both new ball and second new ball at the fag end of the day.

The morning session belonged to Shorey, who capitalised on the half-volleys provided by Avasthi, who simply doesn’t have the required pace to trouble batters if he doesn’t get to swing the new ball. As far as Shardul is concerned, he fed Shorey on the legs and got whipped.

It was left-armer Royston Dias, who got the breakthrough with a delivery that climbed on left-hander Atharva Taide (4) as the batter tried to shoulder arms. Shorey, a former Delhi opener, who hit nine boundaries, added 54 for the second wicket with left-hander Parth Rekhade (23), who was out just before lunch trying to drive Dube but Surya standing at third slip showing brilliant reflexes to pouch it one-handed.

Malewar, who has been Vidarbha’s find of the season, blended caution with aggression after lunch, dominating in his 51-run stand with Shorey. Shorey, who looked good for a three-figure mark, was finally gone when Mulani got one to jump off length and it turned enough to carry the edge which Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane gleefully accepted.

Nair, who is in fantastic form this season, looked effortless while tackling both Mulani and off-spinner Tanush Kotian en route his 78-run fourth wicket stand with Malewar. They were ready to use their feet with Malewar hitting the only six off the day off Mulani, who was otherwise in full control.

Nair, who had hit six boundaries, looked in control before a delivery from Dube in the post-tea session moved a shade and was taken by keeper Akash Anand. While on-field umpire gave it out after some deliberation, Nair asked for review and the decision was upheld.

Malewar’s 159 ball knock ended when he tried to play forward defence to a Mulani delivery that kissed the outside edge into keeper Anand’s gloves. However, the bespectacled pair of left-handed Yash Rathod (47 batting) and skipper Akshay Wadkar (13 batting) added 47 for the unbroken sixth wicket to take the total past 300-run mark.

Brief scores: Vidarbha 308/5 in 88 overs (Danish Malewar 79, Dhruv Shorey 74, Karun Nair 45; Shams Mulani 2/44, Shuvam Dube 2/35) vs Mumbai.