Akshay Wadkar was the star as his century helped Vidarbha reach 547, giving them a lead of 252 against Delhi on day 4 of the Ranji Trophy final in Indore. Wadkar’s century stands with Aditya Sarwate and Siddesh Neral have given Vidarbha the boost and a chance to seal a historic title. Delhi, on the other hand, lost Gautam Gambhir after an aggressive start. Get live cricket score of Ranji Trophy final, Delhi vs Vidarbha, Day 4 here.
11:35 hrs IST: That’s the end of the first session. Delhi have lost both their openers (but are effectively three down). Chandela and Gambhir got the seven-time champions off to a steady start before Wakhare struck to get the right-handed batsman. Gambhir, who suffered a thumb injury while fielding on Sunday, looked in good touch – smashing seven boundaries in no time. But Gurbani, who took a hat-trick in the first innings, got the wicket of the former Delhi captain for 36. The ball was missing the leg stump but Gurbani wouldn’t mind it.
Dhruv Shorey and Nitish Rana played sensibly to ensure Delhi didn’t lose any more wickets till lunch. With captain Rishabh Pant and Himmat Singh yet to come, Delhi would hope to put on a fight. Earlier, Vidarbha were all out for 547. Wicket-keeper batsman Akshay Wadkar scored 133 while Siddesh Neral got out for 74.Last year, Gujarat won their maiden Ranji Trophy title with a five-wicket win over Mumbai in the final. This year, Vidarbha – who are yet to win the championship – are well on course to create history.
10:46 hrs IST: It’s all going Vidarbha’s way. Offspinner Akshay Wakhare struck early to get rid of Kunal Chandela. The right-handed batsman looked to clear the long-off boundary but didn’t get enough power on the shot. The fielder at mid-off, Rajneesh Gurbani, ran a few steps back to complete a neat catch. A poor end to an otherwise a good season for Chandela. Vidarbha nine good balls away now. On the other hand, Gautam Gambhir has started off well. The former Delhi captain is playing at a strike-rate of above 100 and has hit five boundaries so far. He holds the key here. Dhruv Shorey, who scored a century in the first innings, will look to put on a big partnership with Gambhir.
10:35 hrs IST: Poor shot by Kunal Chandela. Akshay Wakhare flights a fuller ball outside off and Chandela lofts it straight to Rajneesh Gurbani at long off. Delhi are effectively two down, with Manan Sharma not batting due to an injured knee.
09:57 AM IST: That’s the end of Vidarbha’s innings. They finish with a 252-run lead. Resuming the day at 528/7, Siddhesh Neral got an early lifeline when Kulwant Khejroliya overstepped in the 159th over. Neral then scored four boundaries in no time before being dismissed by Navdeep Saini for 74, studded with eight boundaries and four sixes. Wadkar, who scored his maiden first-class century on Sunday, also couldn’t last long as he fell to Khejroliya for 133. Saini finished Vidarbha’s innings by removing Aditya Thakare. The right-arm fast bowler ended with the figures of 5/135. Even if this match ends in a draw, Vidarbha will clinch the title on the basis of the first innings lead. Delhi are already a man short – with allrounder Manan Sharma being ruled out due to a knee injury. Tough task for Gautam Gambhir and captain Rishabh Pant. Delhi’s batting hasn’t clicked as a unit and this is the best time to do something special.
09:30 AM IST: Problems pile on for Delhi. Kulwant Khejroliya oversteps again. Siddhesh Neral had his middle stump rattled but is third time lucky. This is a disappointing show from the left-arm pacer. On the other hand, Vidarbha have come out with a clear mind. Neral and Akshay Wadkar are going after the bowlers. Get a feeling declaration could come in the next half an hour or so. Four boundaries for Neral in the session so far. He’s inching close to the three-figure mark. Vidarbha would be itching to finish this match today itself. They’ve done a brilliant job throughout the season and deserve to called winners. For Delhi, it’s a humongous task. They need to score at least 350 runs till stumps to make a match out of it.
Earlier on Day 3, Vidarbha lost Akshay Wakhare and Wasim Jaffer early but Wadkar and Aditya Sarwate played well and helped the first-time finalists go past Delhi’s total of 295 in the first session itself.
The duo stitched together a 169-run partnership, the highest for the seventh wicket for Vidarbha this season, putting them firmly in control.
Later, Wadkar and Siddesh Neral put on an unbeaten 113-run stand. Neral, who hit his maiden fifty, remained unbeaten on 56.