Vaibhav Tripathi in Nagpur
Vidarbha tightened their grip on the ongoing Irani Cup match against Rest of India at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Nagpur. After being bowled out for 342 in the first session, the hosts reduced Rest of India to 142 for 5. Skipper Rajat Patidar was unbeaten on 42 as his team trailed by 200 runs.
As soon as Vidarbha’s innings came to a close, fans began flocking to the reserved stand, hoping to catch a glimpse of the capped Indian batters. However, much to their disappointment, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan were dismissed cheaply. Gaikwad scored 9, while Kishan managed just a single run.
When the Rest of India batters walked out to bat, fans started chanting “Gaikwad, Gaikwad.” Soon, they realised that Aryan Juyal had come out to open with Abhimanyu Easwaran, not Gaikwad. This sparked a discussion among fans about Gaikwad’s batting position. Since last year, his batting postion in red-ball cricket has been a topic of debate in cricketing circles.
For India A, he has mostly played at the top of the order, while for Maharashtra, he bats in the middle order. Against Vidarbha, he came in at No. 5. He struck a couple of delightful strokes — one off the back foot, the other off the front — and looked in good touch. Both boundaries came in Yash Thakur’s over. However, in the same over, Gaikwad was dismissed while attempting another attacking shot. Vidarbha skipper Akshay Wadkar had set a trap, placing Yash Rathod in the third man region — and it worked.
Kishan found it difficult to rotate the strike. Having scored just one off 13 deliveries, the pressure eventually got the better of him. Parth Rekhade trapped the wicketkeeper-batter in front of the stumps. Earlier in the same spell, Parth had ended Easwaran’s 52-run knock. The Rest of India opener fought hard for his fifty but couldn’t convert it into a big score. Three quick wickets in the third session brought Vidarbha right back into the game.
Wadkar was once again impressive with his field placements and rotation of bowlers. Harsh Dubey, who dismissed Yash Dhull, was engaged in a contest with Patidar. While Harsh managed to beat the bat on several occasions, Patidar eventually found his rhythm. Towards the end of the day, he struck Harsh for a couple of boundaries through the extra-cover region. Seeing Patidar find the fence, fans began chanting “RCB, RCB.”
Thakur, stationed on the boundary line, responded by tossing water bottles towards the crowd on what was yet another hot day in Nagpur.
Earlier in the day, Vidarbha could only add 62 runs to their overnight score of 280, losing five wickets quickly. The bowlers who had gone wicketless on Day 1 all struck on Day 2. Saransh Jain picked up a couple of wickets, while Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj claimed one each. Akash Deep once again struck in his first spell, removing Harsh — who has been in fine form with the bat — to finish with a three-wicket haul.
All eyes will now be on Patidar, as there isn’t much batting left for Rest of India. Manav Suthar and Saransh can bat, but on a turning pitch, the visitors will need their captain to play a big innings. Day 3 could well decide the fate of the match.
For More Sports Related News: Follow RevSportz