Ranji Trophy Highlights, Semifinals Day 4: Mumbai struggling in chase vs Vidarbha; Gujarat closes in on first-innings lead vs Kerala

Ranji Trophy Highlights, Semifinals Day 4: Mumbai struggling in chase vs Vidarbha; Gujarat closes in on first-innings lead vs Kerala

Gujarat 429/7 in 154 overs (Trails Kerala by 28 runs)

Mumbai 83/3 in 31 overs (Target – 406)

Gujarat’s arrears down to 30 now. Kerala running out of ideas in this game. Jalaj Saxena with the 61st over of the innings. 

GUJ 427/7 in 152 overs

Rekhade traps Rahane in front to push Mumbai further down the spiral. 

Ajinkya Rahane lbw b Rekhade 12 (39b 2×4 0x6)

MUM 65/3

Gujarat brings down Kerala’s lead under 50. Jaymeet Patel and Siddharth Desai are batting Kerala out of this game. 

GUJ 410/7 in 143 overs

Mumbai loses Siddhesh Lad too. Harsh Dubey with the wicket again. Any slim hopes it held of chasing down the target is dimming rapidly. 

MUM 44/2 in 16 overs

Harsh Dubey has his man. Castles Ayush Mhatre to give Vidarbha the first scalp. 

Ayush Mhatre b Dubey 18 (26b 2×4 0x6)

Jaymeet Patel gets to his fifty with a single against MD Nidheesh. He holds the key for Gujarat in this game now. 

GUJ 380/7

Akash Anand and Ayush Mhatre begin the chase for Mumbai. Solid start from the two. 

MUM 15/0 in 4 overs

Gujarat gets to Tea at 383/7. The home team needs 75 more runs to claim the lead. 

Kotian puts an end to Vidarbha’s innings. Yash Rathod falls finally. 

Yash Rathod c Rahane b Kotian 151 (252b 11×4 0x6)

Mumbai needs 406 runs to win.

Yash Rathod brings up his 150 with a single against Kotian. Priceless knock from the Vidarbha batter. 

Jayswal goes for a wild sweep shot against Sarwate. Top edge and it is caught at deep fine leg by Basil NP. 

Vishal Jayswal c Basil b Sarwate 14 (49b 0x4 0x6)

Mulani has Parth Rekhande caught as he completes his fifer. 

Parth Rekhade c Kotian b Mulani 20 (41b 3×4 0x6)

Vishal Jayswal and Jaymeet Patel are fighting back for Gujarat. 20-run partnership in now. The home team’s hopes hinge on these two. 

GUJ 345/6

Yash Rathod will have to marshall the lower order to ensure Mumbai doesn’t get to start its chase early. He has Parth Rekhade in company for now. 

VID 241/7 in 95 overs

Shams Mulani gets another one. He has Nalkande caught at short cover. 

Darshan Nalkande c sub (AJ Bhatkal) b Mulani 4 (11b 1×4 0x6)

VID 228/7

As expected Jalaj Saxena begins the proceedings for Kerala post-Lunch. Switches to around the wicket to Chintan Gaja and fires one into pads. Appeals for an LBW and the umpire relents. Gujarat takes a review, but to no luck. 

Chintan Gaja lbw b Jalaj S Saxena 2 (14b 0x4 0x6)

Gujarat 325/5 vs Kerala

Vidarbha 227/6 vs Mumbai

Tanush Kotian strikes from the other end. Traps Harsh Dubey in front with a slider, with some help from DRS. 

Harsh Dubey lbw b Kotian 1 (10b 0x4 0x6)

New ball taken for Kerala and Gujarat loses a wicket immediately. Hemang Patel goes for an upper cut and is caught by Shoun Roger at deep third man. Brilliant catch. 

Hemang Patel c sub (S Roger) b Nidheesh 27 (41b 2×4 1×6)

Yash Rathod brings up his hundred with a single against Tanush Kotian. Sixth First-Class ton for the Vidarbha batter. He will look to roll on here and bat Mumbai out of this game. 

VID 204/4 in 78 overs

Jalaj Saxena with his third. He tempts Urvil Patel out of the crease and has his stumped with one that holds the line. Kerala has made an opening in this game. 

Urvil Patel st †Mohammed Azharuddeen b Jalaj S Saxena 25 (43b 3×4 0x6)

Yash Rathod enters his 90s while Wadkar has cross the 40-run mark. Vidarbha’s lead has now gone past 300. Mumbai’s hopes of claiming a win fading by the minute. 

VID 190/4 in 70 overs

Jalaj Saxena strikes again. This time he get the big wicket of Priyank Panchal. Loops one in and spins it past Panchal’s outstretched bat and crashes it onto the stumps. 

Priyank Panchal b Jalaj S Saxena 148 (237b 18×4 1×6)

Yash Rathod wades into Shardul Thakur. Gathers couple of fours from an over. He soon goes into his 80s. Vidarbha’s lead swelling close to 300. 

VID 175/4 in 66 overs

Sachin Baby replaces the wayward Nidheesh with Basil NP. Urvil Patel is the new batter for Gujarat and he gels into the condition pretty fast. 

GUJ 261/2 in 81 overs

Yash Rathod and Akshay Wadkar continue to march on for Vidarbha as its lead swells past 270. 

VID 158/4 in 59 overs

Kerala takes a review almost out of desperation after Hingrajia defends one close to his pad against Jalaj Saxena. The away team feels it hit the pad first. Kerala’s instinct is proven right by the third umpire, who declares Hingrajia out LBW. 

Manan Hingrajia lbw b Jalaj S Saxena 33 (127b 3×4 0x6)

Good start to Day 4 for Priyank Panchal. The Gujarat opener adds three fours against Kerala pacer MD Nidheesh across two overs to establish his dominance. Nothing threatening from the Kerala bowlers yet. 

GUJ 238/1 in 75 overs

Mumbai start with Tanush Kotian and Shardul Thakur. The away team needs a few quick, early wickets to get back into this game. 

VID 149/4 in 55 overs

Manan Hingrajia plays off a maiden against Jalaj Saxena to star Day 4 for Gujarat. 

GUJ 222/1 in 72 overs

Welcome to Sportstar’s Live Blog of the Ranji Trophy semifinals. 

Published on Feb 20, 2025