Bowlers hand Vidarbha lead against Baroda

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, Nov 18, 2025

VIDARBHA bowlers struck in unison and then the batters produced an improved performance on the second day to take a slender but an important first innings lead against Baroda in their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match here at Jamtha Stadium on Monday.

The defending champions struck in the morning session taking five wickets and then took just 47 minutes post lunch break to bundle Baroda out at 166, taking three runs lead.

The hosts then showed immense temperament to score 126 for three in the second innings to take an overall lead of 129 runs.

Opener Athrava Taide (40) and Dhruv Shorey (61) controlled most part of last session, adding 97 runs for the second wicket to help Vidarbha stretch the lead. Taide, who managed only five runs in the first innings, produced a much better stuff in the second essay. He and Shorey rotated the strike finding gaps to keep the scoreboard ticking. With the pitch deteriorating and shot playing becoming difficult, the two Vidarbha batters relied on singles and doubles to score their runs. The Vidarbha duo comfortably negotiated Baroda spinners Ninad Rathva and Mahesh Pithiya as well as pacers Raj Limbani and Atit Sheth.

After Taide’s departure, who was caught by wicketkeeper Mitesh Patel off Mahesh Pithiya, Shorey too was sent back by Atit Sheth in quick succession. Two quick wickets within a space of six deliveries did put some pressure on the hosts but Ravikumar Samarth (8) and Yash Rathod (15) saw the day without any more dent. Earlier, Vidarbha bowlers rose to the occasion in the morning with spinners Parth Rekhade and debutant Ganesh Bhosle sharing four wickets between them before lunch. Baroda had a cautious start as they scored 26 runs in the first hour. Vidarbha finally got success when Rekhade got overnight batter Jyotsnil Singh (36) trapped in front. Singh was lucky to be called back after he was trapped LBW in the seventh over of the day. The umpire overturned his own decision, after he realised that the batter had nicked it. Rekhade then got the wicket of Sukirt Pandey who failed to judge the low bounce as the ball rammed into his pads in front of the wicket.

Debutant Bhosle then took the centre stage as snared two wickets to put Vidarbha on top. The right-arm spinner, playing his first Ranji game, pitched a perfect delivery which spun enough to find the edge of Ninad Rathva’s (1) bat and wicketkeeper Akshay Wadkar did the rest. The maiden Ranji wicket gave Bhosle enough confidence and he took another a few overs later. A relatively slower delivery did not bounce enough to hit Mithesh Patel’s (1) pads only to be adjudged LBW. Nachiket Bhute, who had taken both the wickets on the first day, sent back Baroda captain Sheth caught by Wadkar as Baroda went into lunch at 131 for seven, still trailing by 37 runs.

Post break, Rekhade got Mahesh Pithiya’s brilliantly caught by Shorey in slip while Bhosle got rid of Raj Limbani who was again snapped by an agile Shorey in leg slip. Praful Hinge completed the formalities taking the last wicket of Bhargava Bhatt.

Vishu Solanki was the lone warrior for Baroda with an unbeaten 59 which had two sixes and five boundaries.