TWEAKERS Parth Rekhade (5- 14) and Harsh Dubey (5-37) spun the web around Madhya Pradesh batters with a five-wicket haul each as Vidarbha crushed the visitors by an innings and 20 runs on the third morning of their Elite Group ‘A’ Ranji Trophy match here at VCA Jamtha Stadium. Resuming the day at 19-1, Madhya Pradesh were all out for 105 in 33.5 overs. From 84-3, Madhya Pradesh lost seven wickets scoring only 21 runs. Vidarbha are now at the top of the Elite Group ‘A’ table with 26 points as the Ranji Trophy takes a break. With 14 wickets for 90 runs from the match, Dubey registered his best figures in First-Class cricket. In the process, he also broke former Vidarbha spinner Akshay Wakhare’s record of 13 for 162 registered against Gujarat in 2014- 15 season. Dubey also jumped to top spot in the bowling chart with 28 wickets from four matches. His overall wickets number in First-Class cricket rose to 39 scalps this year. He started with three wickets during India ‘A’ vs Sri Lanka ‘A’ match in Galle in June. Dubey then took eight wickets for Central Zone against East Zone in Duleep Trophy quarter-final match in August followed by the heroics in last four matches. There were no demons on the pitch. It was the breathtaking effort from two premier Vidarbha spinners against whom Madhya Pradesh crumbled.

 

They created hara-kiri as wickets tumbled in every over. Seven wickets fell in 37 minutes as they were all out for 105 in 27.3 overs bowled on Wednesday . Saksham Purohit was the highest scorer for Madhya Pradesh with 34 runs. But as stand-in captain Dubey trapped him in front of the wicket in his first over of the day, the floodgates opened. That Madhya Pradesh’s all nine wickets fell 15 minutes before lunch showed how dominating Vidarbha spinners were in the morning. There were two defining moments of the day. First, MP batter Shubham Sharma's catch taken by Danish Malewar off Dubey. Malewar was parallel in the air as he pouched a breathtaking catch at covers. Then came the big wicket of Madhya Pradesh captain Rajat Patidar who was foxed by Dubey. The 24-year-old left-arm spinner bowled a straighter fifth delivery and Patidar negotiated it well. The next delivery, Dubey exerted extra spin and the ball beat Patidar’s bat to clip the bails leaving the batter flummoxed. Rekhade was dangerous while bowling from pavilion end. He was the one who gave Vidarbha the breakthrough on the second evening taking Yash Dubey wicket. On the third morning, he came to bowl the 25th over of the innings and within a couple of overs started his wicket-taking act. The wicket of Saransh Jain “was the best.” “It (ball) landed perfectly and spun the way I wanted to and hit Jain’s pads in front. I would say that was the best wicket of the five,” said Rekhade, who completed a half century of wickets in Ranji Trophy.