Ranji Trophy: Mumbai clinches record-extending 42nd title, beats Vidarbha by 169 runs in final

Chasing 538 runs, Vidarbha folded for 368 runs in the second session on day five, handing the 42nd Ranji Trophy title to Mumbai.

Mumbai players thank the crowd after winning the Mumbai Vs Vidarbha Ranji Trophy Final match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI/The Hindu

Akshay Wadkar and Harsh Dubey put on a great fight. But with the mammoth target Vidarbha was chasing, the writing was on the wall before the day started. As a result, 51 minutes into the fifth and final day’s play, Mumbai started riding high on Cloud 42.

Mumbai’s well-oiled bowling unit took 42.3 overs to earn the remaining five scalps and engraved its name on the Ranji Trophy for the 42nd time. It was fitting that when the ninth wicket fell, Tushar Deshpande asked captain Ajinkya Rahane to throw the ball to Dhawal Kulkarni.

The veteran pacer – playing his final game – enticed Umesh Yadav into a wild heave, moved the ball slightly in a trademark manner and sparked a prolonged celebration as the red cherry disturbed the woodwork.

The wicket completed a dramatic collapse, with Mumbai picking the last five wickets for a paltry 15 runs in just 32 balls.

AS IT HAPPENED: Ranji Trophy Final HIGHLIGHTS

Tanush Kotian – who got the Player of the Series award – finally sneaked through captain Wadkar’s (102, 199b, 9x4, 1x6) defence after a remarkable knock. It ended the 120-run partnership between him and Harsh Dubey (65, 128b, 5x4, 2x6) that showed Vidarbha’s mantle.

In the next over, Dubey finally succumbed to Tushar Deshpande’s short-ball ploy, with Shams Mulani taking a lunging catch at short backward square leg. The same strategy saw Aditya Sarwate – suffering from a back spasm – offering Ajinkya Rahane catching practice at mid-on.

Kotian then turned one in to lure Yash Thakur into a wild heave in a classical offspinner’s dismissal before Kulkarni wrapped the game up.

The morning session, though, belonged to Wadkar and Dubey. The overnight unbeaten duo continued to bat seamlessly on a slow surface to frustrate Mumbai and its loyal supporters in the Vijay Merchant Pavilion. Kotian was the most fearsome bowler, but the duo survived him, looking in little discomfort against most bowlers.

Only after Deshpande was introduced into the attack 15 minutes after lunch did the batters start looking uncomfortable. And the wheels came off soon after Wadkar converted his eighth 50-plus score of the season into a hundred.

While Vidarbha took home Rs. 3 crore as the losing finalist, Mumbai earned the winner’s cheque worth Rs. 5 crore. Besides the prize money awarded by the BCCI, the Mumbai Cricket Association announced a bonus of Rs. 5 crore to the squad for ending its eight-year title drought.

Scoreboard

MUMBAI – 1st innings: 224.

VIDARBHA – 1st innings: 105.

MUMBAI – 2nd innings: 418.

VIDARBHA – 2nd innings: Atharva Taide lbw b Mulani 32, Dhruv Shorey b Kotian 28, Aman Mokhade lbw b Musheer 32, Karun Nair c Tamore b Musheer 74, Yash Rathod lbw b Kotian 7, Akshay Wadkar lbw b Kotian 102, Harsh Dubey c Mulani v vDeshpande 65, Aditya Sarwate c Rahane b Deshpande 3, Yash Thakur b Kotian 6, Umesh Yadav b Kulkarni 6, Aditya Thakare (not out) 0; Extras (b-1, lb-12): 13; Total (All out in 134.3 overs): 368.

Fall of wickets: 1-64, 2-64, 3-118, 4-133, 5-223, 6-353, 7-355, 8-356, 9-364. MUMBAI bowling: Mulani 35-9-75-1, Shardul 12-0-46-0, Kulkarni 8.3-0-38-1, Deshpande 16-1-53-2, Kotian 39-5-95-4, Musheer 24-3-48-2.

Result: Mumbai won by 169 runs

Player of the match: Musheer Khan (Mumbai)

Player of the series: Tanush Kotian (Mumbai)