IT TOOK 59 long years to break the best bowling figures record for Vidarbha in First-Class cricket. Vidarbha’s India spinner Harsh Jyoti Surendra Dubey bowled exceptionally well to take nine wickets in an innings against Madhya Pradesh in their Elite Group ‘A’ Ranji Trophy match at VCA Jamtha Stadium on Monday to rewrite the record books. Dubey broke the record of late Arun Ogiral who had taken 8-39 against the same side in 1967 at VCA, Civil Lines ground. It was double delight for the 24-year-old Vidarbha spinner as he was rightly included in the Indian ‘A’ team for the Rising Stars Asia Cup which is going to be held at Doha in November. The team was announced on Monday evening. Madhya Pradesh batters danced to Dubey’s tunes as he went on his wicket-taking spree. Their innings folded at tea on 209 from 66.1 overs.

 

The left-arm orthodox Dubey’s figures read: 23.1 overs, four maiden, 53 runs and nine wickets. None of the MP batters, barring Atharva Mahajan, who scored 85 valuable runs for his side, could withstand Dubey’s guile as he foxed them one after the other. Pacer Nachiket Bhute gave Vidarbha the breakthrough in the sixth over of the day. From there on it was only Dubey's show. The 24-year-old opened Vidarbha’s bowling and bowled only two overs in his first spell but without any success. He came back in the 17th over and immediately struck the first blow. With his sunglasses on, Dubey looked no less than a cinestar. His five-six steps run-up was domineering and he flummoxed the batters by rolling his left arm and swirling the red cherry.

 

Dubey was pleasantly surprised when ‘The Hitavada’ informed him about the record. “I didn’t know that I broke a record for Vidarbha. I am really very happy to perform for Vidarbha and get noticed,” Dubey said after the day’s play. Dubey mixed his deliveries brilliantly, bowling slower ones, arm-balls and straighter ones to perfection. With his father Surendra cheering him from the stands, Harsh devoured Saksham Purohit, Chanchal Rathore, Shubham Sharma, captain Rajat Patidar, Atharva Mahajan, Saransh Jain, Arshad Khan, Kumar Kartikeya and Ravi Kiran sparking celebrations in Vidarbha camp to complete his 9-fer. On his nine wickets, Dubey said he never thought of taking those scapls in such a short time. “It requires a whole day to take that many wickets. You need a favourable pitch... There was a little help from the track if you were bowling in the right areas.

 

There was a bit of moisture in the morning and the ball was skidding a little bit and later on after lunch, the pitch got better (for batting). But some spots were created and the balls were turning from those spots... that helped me,” Dubey explained. On MP captain Rajat Patidar’s wicket, Dubey said, “I tried to slow down my deliveries. I was trying to vary my pace and bowl in the right areas and that helped.” With nine first innings wickets, Dubey has swelled his wickets column to 23 with second innings of this game still remaining. The 2024-25 season was Dubey’s best where he took a record 69 wickets in First-Class cricket.