Ranji Trophy: Parth Rekhade's Incredible Over Puts Mumbai in a Tight Spot
Click to start listening
Synopsis
On February 18 in Nagpur, Parth Rekhade's remarkable bowling performance in just his second First-Class match crippled Mumbai's middle-order during their semifinal clash against Vidarbha. As Mumbai closed Day Two at 188/7, they faced a daunting 195-run deficit.
Key Takeaways
- Parth Rekhade's impressive over destabilized Mumbai's batting.
- Shivam Dube secured a five-wicket haul for Vidarbha.
- Akash Anand fought hard to keep Mumbai's innings alive.
- Yash Thakur demonstrated relentless energy with the ball.
- Vidarbha built a significant lead heading into Day Three.
Nagpur, Feb 18 (NationPress) In only his second First-Class match, Parth Rekhade delivered a transformative over that unsettled Mumbai’s strong middle-order, placing them in a challenging position during their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Vidarbha on the second day at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha on Tuesday.
At the close of Day Two, Mumbai found themselves at 188/7, trailing by 195 runs.
Rahane was the first to depart for 18, as a ball unexpectedly rolled back onto his stumps following a defensive stroke. Just two deliveries later, Suryakumar Yadav, known for his aggressive batting style, jabbed at an incoming ball with heavy hands, leading to Danish Malewar at silly point completing a sharp catch after a deflection off his pad. The turmoil continued as Shivam Dube, trying to defend a delivery that skidded across from around the stumps, edged it to slip where Atharva Taide made an extraordinary catch.
If Rekhade's over had already thrown Mumbai into chaos, left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey further exacerbated their woes. Shams Mulani, who had been pivotal in Mumbai’s quarterfinal comeback, was dismissed lbw after a successful review by Vidarbha, with replays confirming the ball would have hit the stumps. Mulani’s exit for four marked Dubey's 60th wicket of the season, making him the first bowler to achieve this milestone since Jaydev Unadkat in 2019-20.
As Mumbai struggled, Shardul Thakur spearheaded a counterattack, forming a crucial half-century partnership with wicketkeeper Akash Anand. Thakur played aggressively, capitalizing on every scoring opportunity, while Anand fought hard to score a commendable half-century at the top of the lineup.
Their 60-run partnership offered a brief respite until Thakur, having scored a quick 37 off 41 balls, was caught out at deep square leg while trying to pull Yash Thakur.
Despite not having outstanding figures of 2 for 56 in 11 overs, Yash Thakur bowled with relentless vigor on a scorching afternoon. He had earlier disrupted a promising half-century partnership by dismissing Siddhesh Lad, getting the ball to angle in and hold its line, beating the outside edge. He also narrowly missed out on dismissing Rahane on 11, with a no-ball saving the Mumbai veteran.
Vidarbha commenced the day by adding 75 runs to their overnight total of 308 for 5, with Yash Rathod reaching his half-century before initiating a collapse.
Shivam Dube, who had already dismissed Rekhade and Karun Nair on Day One, wrapped up Vidarbha’s innings with three wickets in three overs, concluding with impressive figures of 5 for 49—his third five-wicket haul in First-Class cricket.
Brief scores:
Vidarbha 383 all out (Yash Rathod 54, Akshay Wadkar 34; Shivam Dube 5-49, Royston Dias 2-48) lead Mumbai 188/7 in 59 overs (Akash Anand 67 not out, Tanush Kotian 5 not out) by 195 runs
