Kerala Create History, Reach First-Ever Ranji Trophy Final After Dramatic Semi vs Gujarat
Kerala managed to take a two-run first innings lead over Gujarat on the final day, ensuring their berth in the final.
A resilient Kerala on Friday sealed their maiden Ranji Trophy final by taking a dramatic two-run first-innings lead over Gujarat, 68 years after making their debut in Indian cricket's premier domestic competition. Going into the final day at 429/7, the home side, who won the Ranji title in 2016-17, needed just 29 runs to take a first innings lead. However, left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate delivered under pressure, taking all three wickets to bowl Gujarat out for 455 in 174.4 overs to leave them two runs short of the mark.
Making only their second semifinal appearance, the visitors had been left frustrated by a dogged 72-run eighth-wicket stand between Jaymeet Patel (74 overnight) and Siddharth Desai (24 overnight). They started the day needing three wickets with just 28 runs to defend.
Kerala, who last made the semifinals in 2018-19 after making their Ranji debut back in 1957, will face Vidarbha in the summit clash after the latter defeat heavyweights Mumbai by 80 runs in the other semifinal.
Sarwate's breakthroughs came amid high drama, including a dropped catch, a tight stumping decision, and a successful DRS review that overturned a caught-out call to an LBW dismissal.
First it was Kerala skipper Sachin Baby, who dropped the well-set Jaymeet with Gujarat 23 runs shy of a lead.
But Jaymeet could not make it count and perished for 79 (177 balls; 2x4) in the same over when he dragged his foot outside the crease while the ball passed his outside edge for Mohammed Azharuddeen to complete an excellent stumping.
After multiple replays, umpire finally ruled him out as his foot was found to be on the line when the bail was knocked off as Kerala camp went up in celebration.
But there was more to the contest as Gujarat left-arm quick Arzan Nagwaswalla, batting at No 10, counter-attacked and smashed Akshay Chandran for a cover boundary to take them within 14 runs of the lead.
Breakthrough for Kerala came with Gujarat 11 runs behind when Sarwate broke the dogged resistance of Siddharth Desai, who got out for 30 that came off 164 balls with just one boundary.
Desai reviewed a caught-out decision, and while Ultra Edge showed no spike, ball-tracking confirmed it would have hit leg stump, overturning the call to LBW.
Nagwaswalla and last man Priyajitsinh Jadeja brought Gujarat within eight runs when Kerala missed a half-chance, with the ball slipping from Salman Nizar's grasp.
Jalaj Saxena nearly claimed his fifth wicket as Nagwaswalla's inside edge brushed past leg stump, leaving Gujarat just two runs short.
Then came the decisive moment.
Sarwate tossed one up, Nagwaswalla swung hard, and the ball ricocheted off Nizar's helmet at short leg before lobbing to Baby at slip.
The Amay Khurasiya-coached side erupted in celebration, securing a historic Ranji final berth as a dejected Nagwaswalla walked back in disbelief.
For Kerala, Sarwate, who had started the day with 1/101, ended with figures of 45.4-7-111-4.
Jalaj, who toiled hard for 71 overs, returned with 4/149 including 14 maidens.
With their maiden Ranji final berth secured, Kerala batted with ease in the second innings, scoring 114 for four in 46 overs in their second innings in the drawn affair.
Jalaj top-scored for Kerala with an unbeaten 37 off 90 balls, while opener Rohan Kunnummal made 32.
Desai (2/45) and Manan Hingrajia (2/22) picked up two wickets apiece for Gujarat.
Vidarbha beat reigning champions Mumbai
Shardul Thakur scored a valiant fifty but it was left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey who stole the limelight with a brilliant five-wicket haul as Vidarbha secured a commanding 80-run victory over defending champions Mumbai to reach the Ranji Trophy final here on Friday. In a thrilling final day, Dubey, the 22-year-old from Pune, claimed three wickets to add to his two from day 4, taking his season's tally to 66. His match-winning performance helped Vidarbha, last year's finalists, bowl out Mumbai for 325 while chasing a challenging target of 406.
This marks Vidarbha's fourth appearance in the Ranji Trophy final, with previous titles coming in 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
Dubey took his season's tally to 66 wickets, just two shy of Bihar left-arm spinner Ashutosh Aman's record for the most wickets in a Ranji season.
Mumbai fought hard, with Thakur playing a solid knock of 66 off 124 balls, including five boundaries and a six.
He and Shams Mulani (46) formed a resilient 103-run partnership for the seventh wicket, but a key run-out by Danish Malewar shifted the momentum in Vidarbha's favour.
Mulani, who had worked hard for his runs, was dismissed after playing 94 balls.
Thakur's resistance ended when he was clean bowled by a sharp in-ducker from Yash Thakur, leaving Mumbai at 254 for 8.
However, Royston Dias and Mohit Awasthi added 52 runs for the final wicket, taking Mumbai past 300 in 93.4 overs.
Ultimately, it was Dubey who wrapped things up in the final session, trapping Awasthi to seal the win for Vidarbha.
Earlier, Mumbai resumed their innings at 83 for 3, but Shivam Dube fell early in the morning when Yash Thakur found a gap between the bat and pad to remove him.
Suryakumar Yadav (23) and Anand brought up Mumbai's 100 in the 38th over, but their 31-run stand was broken by Dubey, who had Yadav caught off the shoulder of the bat by Atharva Taide.
Akash Anand (39), who had scored a century in the first innings, fell next after a DRS review confirmed he was trapped by Dubey, leaving Mumbai in deep trouble.
Mulani and Thakur then added 50 runs in 83 balls to bring up 200, but the game turned when Malewar produced a stunning piece of fielding, hitting the stumps directly to run out Mulani.
Brief Scores: Kerala 457 and 114 for 4 in 46 overs (Jalaj Saxena 37 not out, Rohan Kunnummal 32; Manan Hingrajia 2/22, Siddharth Desai 2/45) vs Gujarat 455; 174.4 overs (Priyank Panchal 148, Jaymeet Patel 79, Aarya Desai 73; Jalaj Saxena 4/149, Aditya Sarwate 4/111). Kerala win by virtue of first innings lead.Â
Vidarbha 383 & 292 beat Mumbai 270 & 325 all out in 97.5 overs (Shardul Thakur 66, Shams Mulani 46; Harsh Dubey 5/127) by 80 runs.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
India Cricket Team
Jalaj Saxena