VIDARBHA pacer Nachiket Bhute bowled a fiery spell in the first two sessions but Goa lower order fought back hard to make it Even Stevens on Day One of their Elite Group ‘A’ Ranji Trophy match at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium on Monday. It was a perfect start for Vidarbha as Bhute (4-40) continued from where he left in Srinagar against Jammu and Kashmir, snaring four wickets. Rajneesh Gurbani too chipped in with two wickets after spinner Harsh Dubey gave Vidarbha immediate break through in the very first over of the day. However, Goa’s two left-handed batters — Yash Kasvankar (51*), playing only his third First Class match and Darshan Misal (51) lowered their guards to bail out Goa from a precarious situation. At stumps, Goa were 204 for 8 in 86 overs. Kasvankar and Vasuki Koushik (4) were at the crease. Kasvankar and Misal did the repair job with perfection negotiating Vidarbha bowlers with a crucial partnership of 104 runs for the seventh wicket which was instrumental in taking their score past the 200-run mark. At tea, Goa were 129 for six from 58 overs with Kasvankar and Misal adding 45 runs. They then further stretched their partnership to over 100 runs before Vidarbha managed to take two more wickets before the end of day’s play. The day began on a fruitful note for the former three times champions Vidarbha as they put Goa under the pump immediately. Two wickets in the first two overs and then a couple of scalps more by the end of 14th over forced Goa on the backfoot. Vidarbha captain Akshay Wadkar’s decision to bowl first paid dividends as Dubey, opening the bowling, got Goan opener Shivendra Bhujpal (0) on the fourth delivery. The batter tried to sweep the ball and gave an easy catch to Danish Malewar at slips.

 

Seamer Bhute then got Suyash Prabhudesai (1) who ballooned an easy catch to Dubey in the very next over. Last match’s saviour Gurbani (2-28), who is back in Vidarbha fold, made it more difficult for Goa getting Manthan Khutkar (16) caught and bowled in his first over. Bhute then shaped a beautiful delivery which edged Snehal Kauthankar’s bat and landed in the safe hands of R Samarth at slips. A 31 runs stand for the third wicket between Manthan Khutkar (16) and captain Abhinav Tejrana (30) steadied Goa’s ship for a while. The Goan skipper and Lalit Yadav (22) then put up 40 runs for the fifth wicket as the visitors crawled to 69- 4 from 31 overs at lunch. But Vidarbha struck again immediately after the break with Bhute snapping up Tejrana’s wicket to a beautiful diving catch by wicketkeeper Wadkar. Yadav was then trapped in front by Bhute, putting Goa in further trouble. However, Misal, who was dropped on 18, and Kasvankar, who too got a reprieve an over earlier, dug deep to frustrate Vidarbha bowlers. Both the lefthanded batters consumed deliveries and played the bowlers with ease. The two completed a 100 runs partnership in 241 balls and in the process Misal also notched up his half century with a six and a single. Till 58th over, Vidarbha pacers bowled from the city end while the spinners — Dubey, Parth Rekhade and Aman Mokhade — bowled from the pavilion end. At the fag end of the day, Rekhade broke the 104 runs partnership between Misal and Kasvankar. He forced Misal to step out and Wadkar made no mistake in clipping the bails. The second new ball did the trick as Gurbani trapped Ruthvik Naik in front. In the meanwhile, Kasvankar completed his half century but Goa lost a couple of more wickets to end the day at 204-8.