The Ranji Trophy semi-finals are showing a direction. After the fourth evening, Gujarat and Vidarbha were close to the final. Coincidentally, players who ply their trade with the left hand, were the major protagonists. Gujarat need 29 runs with three wickets standing to secure a decisive first-innings leadagainst Kerala. Vidarbha have to defend 322 runs or take seven wickets to knock out Mumbai.
Vidarbha vs Mumbai, VCA Stadium, Nagpur
Yash Rathod is a middle-order bat, who had made over 700 runs before this match and yet, Karun Nair was the most celebrated Vidarbha player. The 24-year-old left-hander followed up his half-century in the previous innings with his highest first-class score of 151. The fifth-wicket stand of 158 he shared with skipper Akshay Wadkar lifted their team from a wobbly 56/4.
After Rathod moved to third on the list of top-scorers,following a fifth century of the season, and Mumbai’s left-armspinner Shams Mulani claimed 6/81, the highest wicket-taker came into play. Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey took the first two Mumbai wickets in their pursuit of 406 to win. That took his season’s tally to 63. Parth Rekhade, another left-arm orthodox, dismissed Ajinkya Rahane.
This Vidarbha side is not punching above their weight against the 42-time champions, who defeated them in last year’s final. Top and middle order frailties have bugged Mumbai all season. They came this far thanks largely to the contributions of bowling all-rounders Mulani, Shardul Thakur and Tanush Kotian. On the last day in Nagpur, Mumbai will hope for a miracle.
Brief scores: Vidarbha 383 & 292 (Yash Rathod 151, Akshay Wadkar 52, Shams Mulani 6/85, Tanush Kotian 3/81) vs Mumbai 270 & 83/3.
Gujarat vs Kerala, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
In this game of patience, Gujarat batters put up a combined show that brought them close to a first appearance in the final after winning the crown in 2016-17. They were feeling the heat at 357/7, exactly 100 short of Kerala’s first innings total. The left-handed duo of Jaymeet Patel and Siddharth Desai showed exemplary application to take their team within sniffing distance. Jaymeet has been outstanding as an all-rounder in his debut season.
Kerala’s Akshay Chandran at a wide second slip dropped an edge off Desai’s blade induced by N Basil when the batter was on 11. The total was 384. Patel and Desai dug deep to make most of that reprieve. There were only a handful of boundaries in their yet unbroken partnership of 72 which has consumed nearly 36 overs.
The left-hander who failed to live up to what was expected of him was Akshay Sarwate. The orthodox spinner with 26 wickets to his kitty before this game had the responsibility of delivering alongside Jalaj Saxena at around this phase of the match. The veteran got one for 104 from 36 overs. Saxena toiled for 61 overs to bag four wickets. Does that decide this match?
Brief scores: Kerala 457 (Mohammed Azharuddeen 177 not out, Arzan Nagaswalla 3/81) vs Gujarat 429/7 (Priyank Panchal 148, Jaymeet Patel 74 batting, Aarya Desai 73, Jalaj Saxena 4/137).
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