Champs show their mettle Vidarbha Take ten Odisha wickets on final day to log full points; go atop Group A

(Left) Vidarbha spinner Parth Rekhade took a match haul of eight wickets including a fifer in the second innings against Odisha at VCA Stadium in Jamtha. (R) Seamer Praful Hinge bowled with fire as hosts thrashed Odisha by 100 runs. (Pics by Satish Raut)

By Anupam Soni :

NEEDING an outright win to take numero uno spot in their group, defending champions Vidarbha showed their mettle snaring all ten Odisha wickets on final day to record a convincing 100 runs victory in their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match at VCA’ s Jamtha Stadium on Tuesday. With 345 runs required for an upset win, Odisha were shot out for 244 28 minutes into the last session. Vidarbha logged full six points from the game and jumped in sole lead with 19 points in their kitty overtaking earlier leaders Jharkhand by a solitary point. Left-arm spinner Parth Rekhade (5-80) led the attack with his maiden First-Class five-wicket haul and seamer Praful Hinge (3-41) gave him good support picking three crucial wickets. Starting the day at 44-0, Odisha openers — Swastik Samal (65; 123b, 9x4, 1x6) and Gourav Choudhury (47; 62b, 6x4) came out with a positive intent and were going strong at one stage. In an eventful 23rd over, Choudhary got a reprieve when Yash Rathod could not hold on to a overhead chance when the batter had steeped down to hoick seamer Nachiket Bhute.

In the same over, Samal reached his fifty with two edged boundaries. The batters were scoring at close to four in the initial stages. Odisha reached the three-figure mark in 23.4 overs playing 102 minutes. But a ball later, Rekhade gave the team much needed breakthrough by trapping Choudhary lbw. New man Sandeep Pattnaik (27; 105b, 2x4), when on two, was give a life, again by Rathod, who grassed an easy chance at long-on off Rekhade. Pattnaik enjoyed another moment of luck when Gaurav Farde’s good catch at long-on came off a Rekhade no-ball. But it was Rekhade who struck again. Samal was caught by Aman Mokhade low at short gully when the batsmen edged an outgoing delivery. With both openers gone, Vidarbha saw a ray of hope of going to lunch with the visitors 147-2 in 49 overs. In the 8th over after lunch, Pattnaik was trapped by a hard-working Hinge who took first of the six wickets to fall in that second session. In his next over, Hinge set up Baral with a barrage of short-pitched stuff including two (overhead) wides and then bowled a fuller to surprise the batter cleaning him up.

Skipper Subhranshu Senapati (28; 67b, 3x4) and veteran Govinda Poddar (46; 59b, 5x4) showed some resistance before the former edged one for Dhruv Shorey at first slip to complete a regulation catch. Rathod, who had a torrid time on the field till then, effected a run out with direct hit to get rid of Odisha stumper Rajesh Dhuper. With confidence back, Rathod stayed calm to hold on to a skier offered by Rajesh Mohanty three overs later off Rekhade. With Jamala Mohapatra being declared out leg before, Rekhade completed his first First-Class five-wicket haul. It was all but over at tea (232-8 77 overs). Bhute shattered the woodwork of Poddar and fittingly enough, Hinge cleaned up Tapas Das on last ball of the seventh over into the last session as the players in the middle converged to form a huddle. For his two hundreds in the match, Shorey (144, 101) was named player of the match.

Our team never gives up: Rekhade

CHAMPIONS do posses some extraordinary qualities. For Vidarbha, one of those is never giving up, asserts left-arm spinner Parth Rekhade who took his maiden First-Class five-wicket haul handing Vidarbha an outright win over Odisha in their fourth round Ranji Trophy match.

Chasing 345 for a victory, Odisha were going strong at 100 without loss but the reigning champions never panicked and stayed focus.

“We were always confident of taking ten wickets today. Only two wickets fell in the first session when more were expected. But our coach and captain motivated us. They told us that it was a matter of just one wicket. Our team never gives up at any point of the match. That is our USP, and that is why Vidarbha is the number one team,” said Rekhade with confidence.

With the pitch not offering much turn, Vidarbha bowlers just stuck to basics with patience.

“The pitch didn’t deteriorate as much as a Day 4 does. It was a pretty intact wicket. We were given a plan to be patient and bowl stump-to-stump line. We stuck to it and got the desired result. We knew that if we bowl with discipline, wickets would follow. It was a game of patience. Odd balls were spinning and a few bounced steeply or kept low,” added Rekhade.

On his best scalp of the innings, Rekhade singled out that of Swastik Samal. “I will cherish my second wicket of the day ... that of Swastik Samal. He was a set batter and was playing well. The ball pitched on the right spot and gripped the surface with Aman Mokhade completing a good catch.”

On absence of Harsh Dubey and bowling with debutants Gaurav Farde and Yash Kadam, Rekhade said, “Even when Harsh plays, we always have clarity about our roles.

“Yes, it was debut match for Gaurav and Yash but they have bowled a lot in age group cricket. They played their role well and I did the same. That’s why we won today.”