Nagpur: Vidarbha continued their dominant run in the Ranji Trophy, capping off the league stage with a resounding 58-run victory over Hyderabad at the VCA Civil Lines Stadium in Nagpur on Sunday. Having already secured a knockout berth with a game to spare, the team showed no signs of complacency, maintaining their intensity till the very end. With six outright wins and a solitary draw against Gujarat, Vidarbha finished atop Group B with an impressive 40 points– an unmatched feat in the group.
Vidarbha, last year’s finalist, is the best team of the league stage and is shining bright, in HD quality, since October. Harsh Dubey (HD), the 22- year-old left-arm spinner, is leading the team to victories after victories with his “different level” of bowling and exceptional batting lower down the order.
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Friday 14 Feb. 2025
Against Hyderabad, Vidarbha managed 190 in the first innings, with Dubey scoring highest 65. The hosts then restricted the opponents at 326 and then rode on Karun Nair’s century (105), AtharvaTaide’s 93 and Dubey’ 55 to post 335 and set a target of 220. The target looked small, but when Vidarbha are the opponents, even 100 would have been difficult.
Yash Thakur gave Vidarbha early sneak into Hyderabad citadel on the third evening. Aditya Thakare then opened the gates on the fourth morning and from there on it was Dubey show for the next two hours or so where the left-arm tweaker gulped six wickets in no time to bundle Hyderabad out for 161 in 38.5 overs. Dubey’s second innings figures read 11.5-1-57-6. Another five-wicket haul for the spinner who is the leading wicket-taker in country with 58 this Ranji season. The next best are Jammu and Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi and Baroda’s Mahesh Virambhai Pithiya who both took 38 wickets each.
Dubey was difficult to play on the fourth day track of VCA’s Civil Lines ground in Nagpur. Hedisplayedhisexcellentability to vary the pace of his deliveries. Hyderabad’s batter who were foxed by Dubey were Abhirath Reddy (21),K Himateja (0),Varun Goud (5),captain Chama Milind (20), Rakshan Readdi (0) and Mohd Siraj (26) who hit the bowler for a few sixes and four to entertain the crowd and delay the inevitable.
Siraj fumes over umpire decisions
India and Hyderabad seamer Mohd Siraj was furious with the umpires of the match against Vidarbha which the visitors lost by 58 runs. Siraj said there were many decisions which could have changed the complexion of the match. “The umpiring was very poor, to say the least. Ok, I can understand one or two mistakes but on 7-8 occasions, they erred,” claimed Siraj after the match.
Akshay Totre and Navdeep Singh Sidhu were the on-field umpires. On many occasions, Siraj was seen standing shocked in the middle of the pitch after his lbw appeals were turned down. When asked whether he has seen the videos of his bowling, Siraj said, “I have seen them many times and then only I am blaming them. But its ok, it’s cricket. I am happy with the way Vidarbha played the match,” he concluded.
