Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Yash Rathod’s 151 sets Mumbai daunting target; Dubey, Parth put Vidarbha in control

No team has successfully chased down a target in excess of 400 in the Ranji Trophy’s nine-decade history so far. With a place in the final up for grabs, Mumbai will be hoping against hope to pull off a heist on the last day of its Ranji Trophy semifinal against Vidarbha.

At the end of the penultimate day’s proceedings at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, however, the home team was firmly in control of the game. Riding on a bespectacled Yash Rathod’s (151, 252b, 11×4) fifth hundred of the season and his 158-run partnership for the fifth wicket with captain Akshay Wadkar (52, 202b, 5×4), Vidarbha finished its second essay for 292 at the stroke of tea.

Harsh Dubey, the left-arm spinner, who is in the form of his life, and rookie counterpart Parth Rekhade then struck vital blows to reduce Mumbai to 83 for three at stumps.

Despite Shivam Dube at the crease and Suryakumar Yadav yet to take guard along with an in-form all-rounder trio to come, Mumbai will have its back to the wall while batting on a last-day surface which is bouncing awkwardly, besides an odd ball turning.

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The pitch played a role in Ajinkya Rahane’s dismissal in the extended half hour when the ball kept low to leave the Mumbai captain stranded in front of the stumps. In fact, the umpires checked whether the ball had bounced twice but the decision went in Rekhade’s favour since Rahane was way too behind the popping crease at the time of impact.

Dubey had earlier extended his season’s tally to 63 wickets by dismissing opener Ayush Mhatre (bowled with a ripper) and Siddhesh Lad (stumped after missing a senseless charge down the wicket).

But Rathod emerged the star of the day. The left-hander gave a taste of the good old ‘khadoos (gritty) batting medicine’ to Mumbai, the inventors of the term. He rotated the strike without much fuss despite Wadkar being scratchy at the other end.

“I had been unable to convert all my previous hundreds this season into a big one. In that regard, with the team requiring me to bat time, it is pleasing that I could notch up my first 150 of the season,” said Rathod.

While Shardul Thakur hardly had aid from the surface, Mulani was the lone man standing with the other three specialist bowlers appearing ordinary as Vidarbha set a huge target.

Mulani, who claimed a six-fer, paid tribute to the late Mumbai cricket stalwart Milind Rege. “I’d like to dedicate this five-wicket haul to Milind Rege sir. He was the chairman when I was recalled into the Ranji team (in 2018-19). There were a few who had tagged me as a white-ball specialist, but being an all-rounder himself, Rege sir realised my potential and backed me to the hilt. I owe a lot to him,” he said.