NAGPUR: Vidarbha’s 169-run defeat at Wankhede Stadium around a year back, is still a fresh wound for many in this part of Maharashtra. Putting that final debacle against Mumbai behind them, Vidarbha have come back stronger, being the team to beat this season.
After seven wins from eight outings, they are up against their familiar foes once again, this time in the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy.
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It’s revenge time at battleground Jamtha. Skipper Akshay Wadkar, though, chose to be politically correct, belying the mood within the Vidarbha camp. “It’s a big match, but we are taking it as just another outing,” Wadkar said on the eve of the match against Mumbai.
On paper, Mumbai are favourites, with big names like Suryakumar Yadav, Ajinkya Rahane, Shardul Thakur and Shivam Dube in their ranks. Form, though, tips the scales towards Vidarbha. Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane knows it too. “Throughout the league phase they have been unbeaten. It’s advantage Vidarbha as they are playing at home,” Rahane said on Sunday.
After a phenomenal Vijay Hazare Trophy, Karun Nair has posted two centuries in Ranji Trophy. Yash Rathod, determined to convert every start into a three-figure knock, is leading Vidarbha’s batting chart with 728 runs. The southpaw will look to add to his four centuries this season to get on the radar of national selectors. Wadkar, Danish Malewar, Dhruv Shorey, and Harsh Dubey too are among runs.
In comparison, the Mumbai top order hasn’t clicked together much. More often, the visitors’ batting, like at the quarterfinal at Eden Gardens, has been about lower order heroics. Thakur, Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian have been at their best, glossing over the top order collapses.
