Vidarbha have qualified for a second successive Ranji Trophy final with a crushing innings win – after scoring only 208 runs!
The reigning champions blew Kerala apart inside two days of their semi-final at Wayanad, claiming victory by an innings and 11 runs in a match which lasted all of 106.1 overs.
A hapless Kerala, featuring in their maiden Ranji Trophy semi-final, were razed by Indian pacer Umesh Yadav who picked up astonishing match figures of 12/79.
Yadav, who joined his domestic teammates for the quarter-finals after having been part of India’s Test series-winning squad in Australia, followed a career-best 7/48 on the opening day with returns of 5/31 on Day 2 as Kerala were bowled out for 91 in their second innings.
Kerala’s two innings in the semi-final lasted a combined total of 53.3 overs.
Vidarbha now await the winner of the Karnataka-Saurashtra semi in the title clash, scheduled to start on 3 February.
Having resumed play on the second morning at 171/5, already 65 clear of Kerala’s first innings score of 106, the holders finished at 208. That their lead stretched beyond 100 was down to a brief cameo by Yadav, who hit a four and a six in an 8-ball 17 from number 10.
Kerala’s second essay began much more promisingly than their first.
KB Arun Karthik, Jalaj Saxena and Vishnu Vinod – who batted between numbers 6-8 on Day 1 – made a punchy start after being elevated to the top of the order.
The hosts, in fact, crossed 50 in just the 10th over for the loss of one wicket, before Yadav began to wreak havoc for the second day running.
From 59/1, Kerala lost six wickets for seven runs in the space of five overs to fall to 66/7 going into Lunch.
Medium-pacer Yash Thakur proved to be the ideal foil for Yadav, ending with impressive figures of 4/28 himself.
31-year-old Yadav has now scalped 21 wickets in two matches since returning to the domestic fold post the Australia tour, having earlier returned figures of 9/113 in Vidarbha’s quarter-final win against Uttarakhand.
His average in these two games reads a barely-believable 9.14, striking once in less than 20 balls.
Brief Scores: Kerala 105 (U Yadav 7/48) and 91 (U Yadav 5/31, Y Thakur 4/28) lost to Vidarbha 208 (F Fazal 75, S Warrier 5/57) by an innings and 11 runs.
(With inputs from PTI)
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