Good Morning!
Welcome to Sportstar's LIVE coverage of the second day of the Ranji Trophy final between Delhi and Vidarbha in Indore's Holkar Stadium.
Day one witnessed some fierce battles as Aditya Thakare got the game off to an eventful start by dismissing Delhi's Kunal Chandela off the fourth delivery of the morning! However, the rest of the day belonged to one man, Dhruv Shorey, who struck an unbeaten 123 to propel Delhi to 271/6 at the end of day's play.
READ THE FIRST DAY'S REPORT HERE --> Shorey ton stalls Vidarbha’s charge
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4.41 pm: That's the end of day two. Vidarbha finishes on 206/4 in 67 overs with Wasim Jaffer unbeaten on 61. Captain Faiz Fazal scored 67 earlier and put on a 96-run opening partnership with Sanjay Ramaswamy. When Jaffer and Wakhare walk in on Saturday morning, Vidarbha's first target would be to add 89 more runs to draw level with Delhi's score and then take a good lead as the day progresses.
Akshay Wakhare walks in as the night watchman. We can have a couple of overs more here on the second day.
4.31 pm: Change of angle from Khejroliya. Beautiful swinging delivery and Wankhade just leaves his bat way out of his body and the ball takes the edge and flies to Rishabh Pant, who gleefully accepts the catch. Delhi is pumped up. A wicket in the final stages of the day, just what Vidarbha would have wanted to avoid. Wankhade departs for 28 off 51 balls (3 fours) and Vidarbha loses its 4th wicket for 206.
Looks like the umpires are changing the ball here.
4.23 pm: Saini overpitches and Wankhade latches on to it in a flash and drives it beautifully in the covers for four runs. With that shot, Vidarbha goes past the 200-run mark. At the end of 64 overs, 203/3, trailing by 94 runs. Wasim Jaffer on 59 (110 balls, 8 fours) and Apoorv Wankhade on 27 (49 balls, 3 fours) in the middle.
4.15 pm: Vikas Mishra in the attack. Wankhade sweeps and beats the fielder at short fine leg. The ball scampers to the boundary and Vidarbha moves to 198/3 and it trails by just 97 runs.
4.08 pm: Nothing is going right for Delhi. Wasim Jaffer scampers for a tight single and gets four extra runs as a fielder fails to back-up a throw and the ball ends up at the ropes. Vidarbha 192/3.
4.03 pm: 50-run partnership between Jaffer and Wankhade. The pair has stabilised the Vidarbha innings after the twin strikes. The partnership is worth 51 off 111 balls now as Vidarbha is on 184/3, trailing Delhi by 111 runs.
3.55 pm: 50 for Wasim Jaffer. The old warhorse at it again. He has taken 88 balls with 8 fours. Vidarbha 178/3 in the 58th over.
3.40 pm: Wankhade edges and it just falls short gully. Wankhade manages two runs and Vidarbha 161/3 in 54 overs, trailing Delhi by 134 runs.
3.31 pm: At the end of 52 overs, Vidarbha is 153/3. Wasim Jaffer has moved to 32 while Apoorv Wankhade is on 4.
3.26 pm: And that brings up the 150 for Vidarbha. At the end of 51 overs, Vidarbha looks comfortable at 150/3, trailing by 145 runs.
3.10 pm: A superb drive by Jaffer. The bowler, Saini, pitches it slightly up and Jaffer expertly drives it to the mid-on region for four. He moves to 26 and Vidarbha 146/3 in the 48th over.
3.00 pm: At the end of 46 overs, Vidarbha is 140/3, 155 behind Delhi's score.
Apoorv Wankhade is the next man in.
2.49 pm: Saini strikes. Ganesh Satish is out. He is trapped infront. They are checking for the no-ball and unfortunately for Satish, a part of the foot is behind the line. Saini pitches it outside off and the ball comes in and thuds on to the pads. The bowler and the fielder all go up in unison and the umpire agrees. Satish doesn't look pleased with the decision. At first glance, it looked like missing leg but it was on course to rattle the timber. Satish is out for 12 off 32 balls and Vidarbha is 133/3.
2.40 pm: The third and final session of the second day begins. Khejroliya starts off to Wasim Jaffer.
2.20 pm: That's the end of the second session. Tea time at Holkar Stadium. Vidarbha goes into the break on 129/2 in 42 overs with Wasim Jaffer on 12 (31 balls, 2 fours) and Ganesh Satish on 12 (28 balls, 2 fours) in the middle. Vidarbha trails Delhi by 166 runs.
After restricting Delhi to 295 in the first innings, Vidarbha got off to a steady start with captain Faiz Fazal and Sanjay Ramaswamy adding 96-runs in the opening partnership. But Ramaswamy was cleaned up by Akash Sudan for 31, while Fazal was caught behind by Rishabh Pant off Sudan for 67.
2.12 pm: At the end of 40 overs, Vidarbha is 120/2. Satish on 3 and Jaffer in 12 in the middle.
With the tea break round the corner, Jaffer and Satish should ensure that Vidarbha does not suffer any more hiccups.
2.00 pm: At the end of 37 overs, Vidarbha 114/2. Jaffer on 7 (18) and Satish on 2 (11) in the middle.
Ganesh Satish is the new man in. Along with Wasim Jaffer, he has a job in hand.
1.45 pm: Sudan strikes again. This time its Faiz Fazal who has to walk back. Fazal gets into the drive, the ball taking the edge and Pant makes no mistake behind. That's a big wicket for Delhi. Fazal goes for 67, off 101 balls and Vidarbha 107/2, trailing by 188 runs.
1.40 pm: Vidarbha gets to its 100. At the end of 33 overs, Vidarbha is 102/1.
Wasim Jaffer is the new man in. He is playing his 9th Ranji Trophy final.
1.29 pm: Delhi gets the breakthrough. Sanjay Ramaswamy inside edges a delivery from Akash Sudan and the ball crashes on to the stumps. The 96-run opening stand is broken and Delhi is escastic. Sanjay departs for 31, off 92 balls with five fours. Vidarbha 96/1 in 30 overs, trailing by 199 runs.
1.25 pm: An uneventful four overs as Vidarbha moves to 94/0 in 29 overs. Fazal on 61 (87) and Sanjay on 30 (87) in the middle. Just the kind of start Vidarbha needed and it is the skipper who has shown the way.
1.04 pm: At the end of 25 overs, Vidarbha 84/0, trailing Delhi by 211 runs.
12.55 pm:A half-century for Vidarbha skipper Faiz Fazal. He nudges one off Mishra and moves to 51 off 66 balls.
Rishabh Pant introduces left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra in the 23rd over. Vidarbha is 72/0.
Gautam Gambhir and Rishabh Pant having a long chat inbetween the overs. Some changes in the field placements.
12.50 pm: Khejroliya beats Fazal and the batsman shows good sporting spirit by applauding the bowler's effort. A rare instance of sportsman spirit shown.
12.48 pm: The openers are going strong here and Delhi's plans seem to have gone haywire. Vidarbha has reached 71/0.
12.33 pm: A beautiful straight drive by Fazal off Saini. His head straight, eyes on the ball and a good follow through of the shot. The ball races to the boundary.
12.32 pm: At the end of 18 overs, Fazal and Sanjay have taken Vidarbha to 58 without any loss of a wicket. Vidarbha trails Delhi by 237 runs.
In case you missed it, Australia and England have drawn the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. You can read the report here .
Vidarbha brings up its 50, the openers' partnership too, in 15.5 overs. Fazal on 29 (47) and Sanjay on 18 (48).
12.19 pm: Fazal sends Khejroliya to the midwicket boundary. Neat placement. Vidarbha 49/0.
12.10 pm: We are all set for the second session. Fazal and Sanjay to resume proceedings. Navdeep Saini with the ball.
11.32 am:Lunch on day two. The session belonged to Vidarbha. After restricting Delhi to 295, thanks to Gurbani's 6-wicket haul, it has moved to 45/0 in 14 overs with Faiz Fazal on 24 (42 balls, 3 fours) and Sanjay Ramaswamy on 18 (42 balls, 3 fours).
READ: Gurbani equals 44-year-old record
Vidarbha behind by 250 and looking at the way the openers have gone out, the 250 wouldn't pose much of a challenge, is what we feel. We are in store for an interesting second session.
Khejroliya, in all probability, bowling the last over of the morning session.
11.24 am: At the end of 12 overs, Vidarbha is 35 for no loss.
Delhi brings in the first bowling change. Nitish Rana with the ball. And Kulwant Khejroliya is the next change, in the very next over.
11.14 am: Vidarbha has got off to a steady start by scoring 32 in the first 10 overs, without any casualties.
11.01 am: Navdeep Saini appeals vociferously for an lbw against Fazal but the umpire turns in down. The ball, pitches in line but is missing the leg stump. Good decision by the umpire.
10.59 am: End of seven overs, Vidarbha 27/0.
10.50 am: Sanjay and Fazal have negotiated the first five overs safely and Vidarbha has moved to 19 for no loss.
10.33 am: End of two overs, Vidarbha 11/0. Fazal on 7 and Sanjay on 4.
10.27 am: Sudan takes Ramaswamy's outside edge and the ball beats the third slip and runs away to the boundary. Vidarbha 5/0 in the first over.
10.24 am: Faiz Fazal and Sanjay Ramaswamy walk out for Vidarbha. Fazal takes strike. Akash Sudan with the new ball for Delhi.
Here is a small stat:
A dream debut for Aditya Thakare (2/74) and Dhruv Shorey's scintillating 145 (293 balls, 21 fours), Himmat Singh's 66 (72 balls, 8 fours, 2 sixes) and his hundred-run partnership with Shorey and finally Gurbani's heroics with the ball, a hat-trick, take centre stage as Delhi is bowled out for 295. Resuming the day at 271/6, Delhi lost its last four wickets — all clean-ups — for just 24 runs. Delhi slips from 290/6 to 295 all out.
10.13 am: Gurbani cleans up Khejroliya and this time two stumps take a walk. Delhi is bowled out for 295 and Gurbani returns with figures of 24.4-8-59-6 .
What a Ranji Trophy the young Gurbani is having. After a sensational spell against Karnataka in the semifinal, he is back with a fiery spell and what a stage to get it!
10.09 am: Gurbani ready to run in. He is on a hat-trick. Shorey on strike. And he gets it! He castles Shorey, the ball comes in a little, hits Shorey on the pad and uproots the off stump. What a moment for the young Gurbani. Gurbani picks up five! He has figures of 24-8-59-5. Shorey departs for 145.
10.06 am: Dhruv Shorey let off a third man! Apoorv Wankhade loses his balance and does not get anywhere near Shorey's upper cut. A second life for Shorey.
It was the last two balls of over that Gurbani had taken the wickets. He is in some kind of discomfort in the deep as the physio attends him. He has figures of 23.5-8-59-4. He had limped off the field, bowling only five balls in an over on Friday.
10.02 am: Two in two for Gurbani! Navdeep Saini has no clue to a Gurbani inswinger and the ball sneaks through the gate and rattles the timber, the top of middle stump to be precise. Delhi loses its eighth wicket for 290. Akash Sudan joins Dhruv Shorey now.
10.00 am:WICKET! A brilliant inswinger from Gurbani sends Vikash Mishra back to the pavillion. What a sight for the bowler to see the off stump take a walk. Delhi now 290/7. Navdeep Saini is the new man at the crease.
Dhruv Shorey gets struck in the groin and is getting treatment.
9.45 am: Not much of action as Delhi is stalled on 285/6 after the end of 98 overs.
The second day's play has been extended by about 10 minutes to accommodate the two overs which were not bowled on Friday. So, a minimum of 92 overs to be bowled today, with play possible upto 4.38 pm (including a 30 minute extension).
End of 95 overs as Shorey and Mishra take Delhi to 285/6.
9.27 am: Gurbani manages to beat Shorey's outside edge. A rare loose shot from the batsman. The ball was moving a tad away from him and Shorey misses it completely, trying to drive on the up. The next couple of balls Shorey gets thick outside edges towards gully and the ball runs away to the boundary on both the occasions.
9.22 am: End of 93 overs and Delhi has moved to 277/6. D. Shorey on 128 and V. Mishra on 6 in the middle.
9.14 am: The seventh wicket partnership between Dhruv Shorey and Vikas Mishra is now worth 32 off 88 balls as Delhi reaches 274/6 in 91 overs.
9.08 am: At the end of 90 overs, Delhi on 274/6. Three runs have come off two overs on the second day morning.
Singles look easy now as the field is a little spread out. Is Fazal missing a tactic somewhere?
9.00 am: Faiz Fazal starts off with a defensive field. No men in catching positions, closeby. He is operating with a couple of slips though. Rajneesh Gurbani to start the proceedings on the second day. Good to see him back in the field after he limped off with a hamstring pull yesterday.
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