Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Shorey and Malewar Establish Base for Vidarbha as Mumbai Strikes Late

Nagpur, Feb 17 (NationPress) Half-centuries from Dhruv Shorey and Danish Malewar laid a solid groundwork for Vidarbha on the first day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against the reigning champions Mumbai at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on Monday.

Despite a few promising contributions from the batters, Vidarbha could not fully capitalize on their good start, concluding the day at 308/5 in 88 overs. At stumps, Yash Rathod, the team’s top run-scorer this season, was not out on 47, while captain Akshay Wadkar remained unbeaten on 13.

The pair managed to see off the final hour after the established duo of Karun Nair and Malewar fell in quick succession, giving Mumbai a slight chance. With all-rounder Harsh Dubey, who scored two fifties in the quarterfinal, still to bat, Vidarbha aspires to reach the 400-run milestone — a target they fell short of in last year's final, which ultimately cost them the championship.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat at the VCA Stadium, Vidarbha aimed to leverage the favorable conditions in only their second match at this venue this season. Their previous match in Nagpur, a high-scoring draw against Gujarat in November, underscored the significance of a robust first innings total.

After successfully navigating the initial spells from Shardul Thakur and Mohit Avasthi, Vidarbha faced their first setback when Royston Dias, fresh off a five-wicket haul in the quarterfinal, struck with his second delivery. A sharp lifter caught Atharva Taide (4) off guard, and his uncertain attempt to evade resulted in a glove to wicketkeeper Akash Anand.

Shorey then took control, showcasing a range of elegant cover drives and timely cuts to stabilize the innings. He was joined by Parth Rekhade, a relatively new player appearing in just his second first-class match, as Vidarbha opted for an additional batter instead of off-spinner Akshay Wakhare. The duo added 54 runs before all-rounder Shivam Dube broke through, dismissing Rekhade for 23.

Shorey and Malewar subsequently built on the foundation, contributing an additional 51 runs. However, Mumbai's spinners quickly found their rhythm. Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani provided the breakthrough, inducing an edge from Shorey (74), which deflected off Ajinkya Rahane at slip before being caught by the wicketkeeper.

Coming in at No. 5, Nair arrived with the confidence of two centuries in two matches and immediately took the lead. Facing off-spinner Tanush Kotian, Nair executed a series of well-controlled sweeps and reverse sweeps to disrupt the spinner's flow. Meanwhile, Malewar, in fine form, reached his fifth first-class half-century.

However, just when the duo seemed to have the upper hand, Nair was out for 45, chasing an innocuous delivery from Dube, securing the all-rounder's second wicket. Malewar also missed the opportunity for a century, edging to the wicketkeeper off Mulani just as he appeared poised for a big score on 79. With the momentum shifting, Rathod and Wadkar steadied the ship, ensuring Vidarbha concluded the day in a relatively strong position. Their unbroken 47-run partnership in the final hour solidified the innings, leaving Vidarbha in a promising spot despite several missed chances.

Brief scores:

Vidarbha 308/5 in 88 overs (Danish Malewar 79, Dhruv Shorey 74; Shivam Dube 2-35, Shams Mulani 2-44) against Mumbai