Indore: Wasim Jaffer (61 batting, 120b, 8×4) brought into play his years of experience as he guided Vidarbha to 206 for four with an unbeaten half century after seamer Rajneesh Gurbani (6/59) scythed through Delhi’s lower-order for a rare hat-trick in a Ranji Trophy final here, Saturday. Vidabha are trailing by 89 runs with Jaffer and Akshay Wakhare at the crease.
The match hanging in a balance, how Delhi bowlers perform during the first hour of the third day, could well prove to be decisive in the final context of the match.
Resuming on 271 for six, in-form seamer Gurbani rocked seven-time winners Delhi by removing three batsmen in as many balls in the second morning. Delhi lost their last four wickets for only five runs.
The victims at the Holkar Stadium also included centurion Dhruv Shorey (145, 294b, 21×4), making Gurbani only the second man to claim a hat-trick in the final of India’s premier domestic competition. Tamil Nadu’s B Kalyanasundaram was the first to have achieved the feat against Mumbai in 1972-73 season.
A day after a rather subdued outing, Gurbani found his mojo back as the 24-year-old ripped through the shaky defence of Vikas Mishra, Navdeep Saini and Shorey off successive deliveries before knocking over Kulwant Khejroliya (1/30), to cut short Delhi’s innings.
In reply, Vidarbha began their innings in earnest and went to lunch without suffering any damage while scoring 45 runs. This season’s most prolific opening duo of skipper Faiz Fazal (67, 101b, 10×4) and Sanjay Ramaswamy (31) started the second session from where they had left, adding another 51 runs before the departure of Fazal of a Akash Sudan (2/53) delivery.
Jaffer looked solid in the middle and hard as they tried, Delhi could dislodge the seasoned campaigner as an eventful day’s play came to an end.
Brief scores
Delhi 295 (Dhruv Shorey 145; Rajneesh Gurbani 6/59); Vidarbha 206/4 (Faiz Fazal 67, Wasim Jaffer 61 batting). Match to continue.
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