Matches (13)
IPL (2)
PSL (2)
Women's Tri-Series (SL) (1)
County DIV1 (3)
County DIV2 (4)
USA-W vs ZIM-W (1)
RESULT
Final, Nagpur, February 26 - March 02, 2025, Ranji Trophy
PrevNext
379 & 375/9

Match drawn (Vidarbha won on 1st innings)

Player Of The Match
153 & 73
danish-malewar
Player Of The Series
476 runs • 69 wkts
harsh-dubey
Report

Kerala fight back after Malewar 153 takes Vidarbha to 379

Sarwate's 66 not out steered Kerala to 131 for 3 at stumps

Ekanth
27-Feb-2025
Nedumankuzhy Basil celebrates a wicket, Kerala vs Vidarbha, Ranji Trophy final, 2nd day, Nagpur, February 27, 2025

Nedumankuzhy Basil picked up three wickets  •  KCA

Kerala 131 for 3 (Sarwate 66*, Imran 37, Nalkande 2-22) trail Vidarbha 379 (Malewar 153, Nair 86, Nidheesh 3-61, Apple Tom 3-102) by 248 runs
Kerala's pace trio of Nedumankuzhy Basil, MD Nidheesh and Eden Apple Tom ensured that Vidarbha did not run away with the advantage on day two of the Ranji Trophy final in Nagpur. Aditya Sarwate, who is a bowling allrounder otherwise, was promoted to No. 3. The move came off as he finished the day unbeaten on 66 to carry Kerala to 131 for 3.
Vidarbha, finalists from the previous edition, did post a challenging total, though. Nachiket Bhute, who came in at No. 11, scored a crucial 32 off 38 balls. The 44-run stand between Bhute and Harsh Dubey for the tenth wicket extended the first session from its scheduled two-and-a-half-hour duration to three hours and took Vidarbha to 379.
Darshan Nalkande then took out both Kerala openers in his first two overs. They recovered, thanks to a 93-run stand between Sarwate and Ahammed Imran. The latter fell to a Yash Thakur bouncer close to stumps, but Sarwate and Sachin Baby ensured that Imran's was the last wicket to fall on the day.
The day started with Vidarbha on 254 for 4 and runs flew early on. Thakur flicked the first ball of the day to the midwicket boundary and the fifth ball of the next over to the square-leg boundary. Nidheesh found some swing and adjusted his lengths to keep the batters in check, but Apple Tom's lines were inconsistent and he was driven when he bowled full.
An attempted bumper to Danish Malewar was pulled behind square for the first six of the day. It brought up his 150, and reduced Apple Tom's opening spell to a two-over stint, in which he went for 18 runs.
Vidarbha slowed down after the introduction of Basil as he offered Nidheesh support and his team control. The latter induced an outside edge off Thakur in the 95th over but it didn't carry to gully. In the next one, Basil got one to nip back and smash Malewar's stumps to end his innings on 153.
Bassil removed the other set batter, Thakur. He angled in a full ball from wide of the crease to beat Thakur on the flick and pin him lbw.
Apple Tom's return in the next over was rewarded with the wicket of Yash Rathod, who is Vidarbha's highest run-getter this season so far. A length ball from around the wicket straightened off the pitch, took the edge, and was caught at first slip as Vidarbha slumped to 297 for 7.
The Yashes were gone, but the two Akshays - Wadkar and Karnewar - kept the innings afloat with a 36-run stand for the eighth wicket. Wadkar punched Basil through the covers off the back foot, and Karnewar picked up a streaky boundary each off Apple Tom and Basil. Wadkar carved a six just over deep-backward point off Nidheesh before a streaky boundary came in the form of leg-byes.
The stand was broken when Rohan Kunnummal took a sharp, low catch at cover to dismiss Karnewar. In what was supposed to be the final over before lunch, Wadkar went for a powerful cut but the length ball from Apple Tom seamed away, took the edge and led to a caught behind.
Bhute smashed two sixes off Jalaj Saxena, the first of which took Vidarbha past 350. Dubey, his partner, was comfortable as he rotated strike and swept Saxena for four. The stand went past the 35-over session, which yielded 119 runs and five wickets, but ended 13 balls later as Bhute was out caught behind off Nidheesh while trying to run a back-of--good-length ball to deep third.
Nalkande speared in a yorker on off stump in the first over to catch Kunnummal by surprise. The ball dribbled onto the stumps off the bat and Vidarbha were rolling. From the other end, Thakur missed his line and went for three boundaries. That didn't stop Nalkande, though, as he swung in a full ball to catch the inside edge of Akshay Chandran's drive that clattered onto the stumps.
Thakur overpitched again and Sarwate cover drove his way from 0 to 8. In his next over, he bowled a short ball that was cut past cover for four more. Kerala were 30 for 2 off six overs, with 28 runs coming off Thakur.
A double-change nearly worked for Vidarbha after that as Bhute drew an edge off Imran's bat but Atharva Taide, the substitute fielder, dropped the chance at second slip. Sarwate picked up two more boundaries through the off side as Kerala breezed through to tea on 57 for 2.
The batters looked assured in the final session that began with spin. Parth Rekhade was replaced by Nalkande after being swept for two fours in consecutive overs. Dubey, the highest wicket-taker in the tournament by a distance, found turn and stacked back-to-back maidens with Nalkande. While Nalkande created two near chances in the 24th over, the batters were safe.
Sarwate hit Nalkande for two fours in his next over and ended his spell. He brought up fifty and Kerala's hundred in the 30th over. Thakur tried out the bouncer which cost him a boundary but earned Imran's wicket soon after as the batter miscued a pull to midwicket. Sarwate picked up a couple more boundaries with Baby holding fort at the other end as Kerala finished the day trailing Vidarbha by 248.

Ekanth is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo

Language
English
AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
Vidarbha Innings
<1 / 3>

Ranji Trophy

Elite, Group A
TeamMWLDPTQuotient
J + K7502351.577
MUM7421291.745
BRODA7421271.173
SVCS7331230.864
MAHA7232171.063
ODSA7231170.715
TPURA7114141.233
MEGHA707000.343
Elite, Group B
TeamMWLDPTQuotient
VIDAR7601401.490
GUJ7403321.147
HP7340211.015
HYD7232161.223
RAJ7124161.000
AP7133130.946
UKHND7133110.617
PONDI703460.783
Elite, Group C
TeamMWLDPTQuotient
HRYNA7304291.212
KER7304281.813
BENG7213211.175
KNTKA7205201.195
MP7115141.158
UP7115140.989
PNJB7142110.827
BIHAR706010.338
Elite, Group D
TeamMWLDPTQuotient
SAU7322251.248
TN7313251.670
CHD7430250.983
DELHI7223210.872
JHK7214200.922
RLYS7223170.850
CGR7025111.110
ASSAM703460.624