Mumbai, March 1: Hosts Vidarbha extended their lead to 127 runs as they reached 90 for 2 in their second innings at lunch on day four against Kerala in the Ranji Trophy final here on Saturday. Beginning their second essay, Vidarbha, who had taken a crucial 37-run first-innings lead, lost both their openers in the first half-an-hour of the day before Danish Malewar (38 batting) and in-form Karun Nair (42 batting) steadied the ship with an 83-run unbeaten partnership. Harsh Dubey Breaks Record of Most Wickets in a Ranji Trophy Season, Achieves Feat During Vidarbha vs Kerala Ranji Trophy 2024-25 Final.

Veteran spinner Jalaj Saxena (1/36) struck off his very first ball of the day to remove Parth Rekhade (1), providing the first breakthrough to Kerala. Medium pacer MD Nidheesh (1/17) , who has been Kerala's leading bowler this season, then removed Dhruv Shorey (5) in the next over. First-time finalists Kerala, who conceded a first-innings lead, desperately need wickets to have a shot at winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title.

Brief Scores

Vidarbha: 379 and 90/2 in 34 overs (Karun Nair 42 batting, Danish Malewar 38 batting; MD Nidheesh 1/17, Jalaj Saxena 1/36).

Kerala: 1st innings 342 in 125 overs (Sachin Baby 98, Aditya Sarwate 79; Darshan Nalkande 3/52, Harsh Dubey 3/88, Parth Rekhade 3/65).

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)