That's all from this gripping contest! Vidarbha walk away with 3 crucial points courtesy of their first-innings lead, while Tamil Nadu collect 1 point from the game. Until next time, this is Pritam Dey signing off alongside scorer Danish Elahi. BYE BYEđź‘‹
Player of the Match: Nachiket Bhute
4:49 PM: That's the end of the contest! Tamil Nadu dug in deep with the bat and showed real resilience to survive the day, earning themselves a point. Vidarbha, meanwhile, walk away with 3 points from this clash as the match finishes in a DRAW!
Tamil Nadu won the toss and decided to bat, but they were in early trouble with a top-order collapse. Just when things looked shaky, Pradosh Ranjan Paul played a brilliant knock of 113 and Baba Indrajith supported him superbly with 96. The duo stitched a crucial 179-run stand to revive the innings and steady the ship. Thanks to their effort, Tamil Nadu finished Day 1 strongly at 252/4, giving themselves a solid platform for a good first-innings total.
Day 2 brought a dramatic turn in the game as Tamil Nadu suffered a sudden collapse. Vidarbha pacer Nachiket Bhute was the standout performer, ripping through the lower-middle order to claim a superb five-wicket haul (5/65). The hosts lost their final six wickets for just 39 runs, folding for 291 and letting Vidarbha seize control early in the contest. In reply, Vidarbha's top order stood firm, led by opener Aman Mokhade (80) and Dhruv Shorey (82), who built a solid platform with composed stroke play. Their disciplined effort ensured Vidarbha seized momentum, closing Day 2 strongly at 211/2 and clearly signaling their intent to take the game well beyond Tamil Nadu's reach.
Day 3 was all about patience and control from Vidarbha, who batted with purpose and authority throughout. They erased the deficit with ease and kept grinding the hosts down. Yash Rathod led the charge with a superb 133, while R. Samarth chipped in with a steady 56. Skipper Akshay Wadkar added a valuable 43, and Nachiket Bhute provided the finishing touch with an unbeaten 51, helping Vidarbha take full command of the contest. Vidarbha's innings finally closed at a massive 501, giving them a commanding first-innings lead of 210 runs. Tamil Nadu skipper R Sai Kishore fought tirelessly and earned his reward with a hard-fought five-wicket haul (5/150), but the visitors had already put themselves firmly in control.
Tamil Nadu resumed with resilience after a cautious five-over stay last evening, but the morning session brought trouble as they lost four wickets in quick time and slipped into deep pressure. With the game tilting heavily in Vidarbha’s favour, Baba Indrajith rose to the occasion and produced a gritty, match-saving knock. Supported by Shahrukh Khan (40), S Mohamed Ali (25), and Sai Kishore (4* off 47) as Tamil Nadu battled through the final day, losing just two wickets across the last two sessions.
Indrajith’s unbeaten 77 drove them to a slender 23-run lead before they closed at 233/6. Vidarbha couldn’t force a collapse in time, and the contest ended in a hard-fought DRAW!
OVER 89
Tamil Nadu
233/6
Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore
4(47)
Baba Indrajith
77(189)
Aman Mokhade
0-1(1.0)
88.6 A Mokhade to Kishore
0 Flatter outside off. Punched off the back foot to extra cover. There it is! Akshay Wadkar shakes hands with the two batters, and that brings an end to the contest. The match finishes in a DRAW!
88.5 A Mokhade to Kishore
0 Back of a length delivery outside off. Punched off the back foot to deep extra cover.
88.4 A Mokhade to B Indrajith
1 Short ball outside off. Punched off the back foot to deep extra cover for a single.
88.3 A Mokhade to B Indrajith
0 Short ball at the stumps. Indrajith punches it to long on.