Jharkhand tail frustrate Vid

By Paritosh Pramanik

Oct 27, 2025

JHARKHAND tail wagged to frustrate Vidarbha as they posted 332 in their first innings on the second day of their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match at VCA Jamtha Stadium on Sunday.

Vidarbha’s innings could not start as the play was suspended due to bad light immediately when Jharkhand players walked into the field. The day was called off after a few minutes.

Vidarbha did manage to take some quick wickets in the three-hour second session in which they bowled 43 overs but Jharkhand tailenders did not budge as the last three wickets added 63 runs.

Pacers Praful Hinge (3-63) and Nachiket Bhute (4-41) shared seven wickets between them, but the last wicket pair of Jatin Pandey (18*) and Vikas Kumar (25) added 41 to take Jharkhand’s total to 332.

Vidarbha struck in the middle session taking six wickets with the second new ball (taken in the 86th over). From 255 for three, Jharkhand were 262 for seven by 95th over. But Pandey joined hands with Sahil Raj (13) and then with Vikas to frustrate Vidarbha.

The sun once again remained behind clouds for most part of the morning session and Vidarbha managed to break the overnight opening wicket partnership of 119 runs between openers Shikhar Mohan (60) and Sharandeep Singh (69) quickly sending back the former.

Hinge was rewarded for his consistent line as the lanky bowler pitched one on the coin forcing Shikhar Mohan to nick back to wicketkeeper captain Akshay Wadkar on his personal overnight score of 60 runs.

Sharandeep Singh later completed his career’s seventh half century from 111 deliveries in the morning with a beautiful cover drive off Nalkande. His partner in the middle, Suraj Kumar (24) showed his batting skills with a lovely boundary through covers off Hinge in the 48th over. The left-handed batter tried to pace up the innings hitting another boundary, this time a straighter one, off Parth Rekhade’s bowling in the 53rd over. But his innings was cut short by Bhute as the batter tried to overpower the bowler with a pull shot only to give a high catch to Hinge at fine leg boundary.

Sharandeep’s fine innings was finally halted before lunch when Akshay Karnewar spun his delivery enough to get the edge of his bat as the red cherry landed in Atharva Taide’s hands at first slip.

Vidarbha had a chance to gain control immediately after lunch but Wadkar, who was otherwise outstanding behind the stumps, missed an easy stumping chance. Virat Singh (36) stepped out for a big heave but missed the line off Rekhade. But Wadkar failed to collect the ball as the opportunity went in vain.

Jharkhand captain Ishan Kishan (45) and Virat then started taking on the bowlers hitting boundaries from both the ends.

Ishan hit two successive boundaries off Hinge in the 92nd over but the bowler had the last laugh as he got the prized scalp on the last ball of his over. Ishan slapped an aerial shot towards square leg only to find Darshan Nalkande grabbing it inches inside the ropes. The partnership yielded 78 runs. One brought two as Bhute got the wicket of Virat caught by Wadkar. 

But when Vidarbha thought that they had an early chance to bat, Jharkhand tail wagged, frustrating the home team.