Vidarbha came out victors on the back of their formidable bowling attack, as it proved too much for the Rest of India, securing a comfortable 93-run victory in the Irani Cup on Sunday. Despite a fighting 92 from Yash Dhull, the Rest of India, chasing a target of 361, were all out for 267 during the second session on the final day. Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey (4/73) and pacer Yash Thakur (2/47) were the primary architects of the damage.
This win marks Vidarbha's third consecutive triumph in as many Irani Cup appearances. Much of the credit goes to Dubey and Thakur, who each had a match haul of six wickets, collectively claiming the majority of the 20 Rest of India wickets throughout the two innings.
The Rest of India had struggled, falling to 133 for six on the final morning, but Dhull and Manav Suthar (56) revived their hopes with a 104-run partnership for the seventh wicket. However, it was Thakur who dashed any thought of an improbable Rest of India victory. Dhull, attempting to slash a delivery, was caught by Atharva Taide at deep third man, a well-judged catch inches inside the boundary.
Following the dismissal, a heated exchange occurred between Vidarbha bowler Thakur and Delhi native Dhull, with the two nearly coming to blows after Thakur gave the batsman a rather aggressive send-off. The umpires and Vidarbha fielders had to intervene to restore calm, and both players are expected to face sanctions from the match referee.
Thakur didn't let the incident distract him, as he cleaned up Akash Deep on the very next ball. Shortly after, Dubey, the highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy last year, sealed the victory.
Rest of India captain Rajat Patidar acknowledged the superiority of the winners, while also suggesting his team could have performed better.
“Vidarbha played well and were deserving winners. If we had applied ourselves in a better way, after assessing the conditions, I think we could have come close to the total,” Patidar said after the game.
Vidarbha's Atharva Taide, who scored 143 in the first innings and took the critical catch to dismiss Dhull, was named Player of the Match. He reflected on his performance and preparation:
“Last couple of seasons weren't great for me. But this season, I prepared very well. I wanted to make an impact for my team and starting the season with the Irani Cup had been better than this. So all this evening is for VCA. Everybody, my coach, selector, everybody who's backed me throughout the season is for them," Taide stated.
The national selectors, who are looking at the overall picture, would also be happy that Akash Deep looked fully fit, having recovered from his shoulder injury suffered during the Oval Test against England in August.
Akash bowled 29 overs (19 and 10) across both innings and took three wickets. He looked sharp during his first spell.
On the batting front, Abhimanyu Easwaran's poor track record of not being able to win crucial knock-out games for his team continued despite scoring a half-century in the first innings.
Easwaran was dismissed in an identical fashion across both innings.
An arm ball from a left-arm spinner -- Parth Rekhade in the first essay and Harsh Dubey in the second dig ended his stay.
Both times he went on the back foot and was caught plumb in front.
Brief Scores: Vidarbha: 342 and 232.
Rest of India: 214 and (target 361): 267 all out in 73.5 overs (Yash Dhull 92, Manav Suthar 56, Harsh Dubey 4/73 and Yash Thakur 2/47).
(With PTI Inputs)
