Mumbai vs Tamil Nadu: Mumbai Marches to the Final

In a stunning display of cricket prowess, Mumbai secured a dominant victory against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy semifinal at the BKS complex, earning them a spot in the tournament final for the 48th time. Shams Mulani’s stellar four-wicket haul played a pivotal role as Tamil Nadu succumbed for 182 in their second innings, resulting in Mumbai’s resounding win by an innings and 70 runs.

Mumbai’s Commanding First Innings

Mumbai, commencing the day at 353/9 in their first innings, extended their lead by 25 runs to reach a formidable total. Tanush Kotian and Tushar Deshpande collaborated for an 88-run partnership for the final wicket, with Kotian falling short of a century at 89 when Deshpande was dismissed.

Tamil Nadu’s Struggle and Mumbai’s Bowling Brilliance

Tamil Nadu’s second innings began in chaos, losing three wickets early on, including the openers Narayan Jagadeesan and Sai Sudharsan. Shardul Thakur, who contributed a crucial 109 with the bat, continued his impact, dismissing key players. Despite Baba Indrajith’s fighting 70, Mumbai persistently took wickets and wrapped up the opposition in just 51.5 overs.

Brief scores: Tamil Nadu 146 (Vijay Shankar 44; Tushar Deshpande 3-24) & 162 (Baba Indrajith 70; Shams Mulani 4-53) lost to Mumbai 378 (Shardul Thakur 109, Tanush Kotian 89*; Sai Kishore 6-99) by an innings & 70 runs.

Vidarbha vs Madhya Pradesh: Vidarbha’s Resurgence

After a subpar performance in the first innings, Vidarbha displayed a remarkable improvement in their batting on Day 3 of the Ranji clash against Madhya Pradesh in Nagpur. Led by Yash Rathod (97*) and Akshay Wadkar (77), Vidarbha finished the day at 343/6, establishing a commanding lead of 261 runs.

Early Struggles and Rebuilding

Starting the day at 13/1, Vidarbha faced early setbacks with the loss of Akshay Wakhare. Aman Mokhade (59) and Dhruv Shorey (40) initiated the rebuilding process, supported by a useful contribution from Karun Nair (38). However, Vidarbha stumbled to 161/5 as wickets continued to fall.

Rathod and Wadkar’s Resilience

Rathod and Wadkar adopted a patient approach, scoring at a rate below 60, as they formed a steadfast partnership, guiding their team past the 300-run mark. Despite Anubhav Agarwal breaking the partnership by dismissing Vidarbha’s skipper, the team made a commendable comeback, relying on Rathod to set a challenging target for Madhya Pradesh. 

Brief scores: Vidarbha 170 & 343/6 (Yash Rathod 97*, Akshay Wadkar 77; Anubhav Agarwal 2-68) lead Madhya Pradesh 252 by 261 runs.