Ranji Trophy: Vidarbha thrashes Mumbai by an innings and 145 runs

Vidarbha secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy while Mumbai was robbed of a knockout berth for the first time in 11 years.

Vidarbha became the fifth team to enforce a follow-on on Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy.

Mumbai’s miserable season turned from bad to worse as the batsmen surrendered meekly to hand Vidarbha a historic innings win on New Year's day.

Vidarbha's innings and 145 runs win ensured the team a place in the quarterfinals while Mumbai was robbed of a knockout berth for the first time in 11 years.

As it happened: Ranji Trophy 2018-19 UPDATES: Round 8, Day 3

The pitch in Jamtha had started offering slow turn but there was no alarming spin on offer. Considering that Mumbai started the day at 169 for six in its first innings, it was all but clear that it will be forced to follow-on.

STATS BOX   Vidarbha became the fifth team to enforce a follow-on on Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. The previous instances are: by Gujarat in Thane in 1986-87; by Bengal in Kolkata in 2006-07; by Saurashtra in Rajkot in 2008-09; by Punjab in Rajkot in 2016-17. All the four previous saw Mumbai drawing the match.  It was the second-biggest margin of loss for Mumbai when it has lost a Ranji Trophy match by an innings. Here are Mumbai’s losses by an innings: Lost to Nawanagar by an innings and 130 runs in 1937-38; Lost to Baroda by an innings and 18 runs in 1949-50; Lost to Gujarat by an innings and 166 runs in 1950-51; Lost to Tamil Nadu by an innings and 44 runs in 2014-15; Lost to Karnataka by an innings and 20 runs in 2017-18; Lost to Vidarbha by an innings and 145 runs in 2018-19.    Mumbai’s second innings that lasted 34.4 overs was its fifth-shortest in terms of number of balls. The other four are: 15.3 overs vs Karnataka in 2014-15; 28.1 overs vs Nawanagar in 1937-38; 30 overs vs Nawanagar in 1937-38; 34.3 overs vs Uttar Pradesh in 1997-98.     The last time Mumbai did not feature in Ranji Trophy knock-outs was in 2007-08. With one league game remaining, Mumbai is in danger of finishing a winless season for the first time since 1977-78.  Stats courtesy: Dilipsingh Upring

After the tail had added 83 runs, the need of the hour was for the batsmen to apply themselves and make Vidarbha's spin trio earn the wickets by stretching the match into the last day.

Reckless batting

Instead, so reckless was the 41-time champion that its second dig lasted only 208 balls, with some of the worst possible shot selection. Five specialist batsmen - opener Vikrant Auti, Shreyas Iyer, Shubham Ranjane, Shivam Dube and Aditya Tare - were dismissed while trying to play big shots.

The slide began with Auti, who top-edged a sweep off left-arm spinner Aditya Sarvate to deep square-leg in the third over. In the same over, Jay Bista shouldered arms to see the ball crashing into the off-stump, leaving Mumbai in a spot of bother at 10 for two.

Aditya Sarwate ran through Mumbai's batting line-up on day three.

 

The fourth ball after the break, captain Siddhesh Lad, was unfortunate to have been adjudged lbw when the ball appeared to have been sliding down the leg side.

Iyer was Sarvate’s fourth victim. He hammered two sixes before holing out in the deep. Ranjane followed soon after to off-spinner Akshay Wakhare, who grabbed a five-for in the first innings.

At 65 for five, Mumbai's fate was all but sealed. Dube stepped out to be stumped and Tare - who had survived for over an hour - attempted an audacious heave off Sarvate but the top-edge was grasped by Wasim Jaffer at first slip.

The left-arm spinner then fittingly finished the match with Tushar Deshpande nicking one to the keeper minutes before scheduled tea.

At Nagpur: Vidarbha 511 bt Mumbai 252 in 78.5 overs (Jay Bista 64, Shubham Ranjane 52, Dhrumil Matkar 62 n.o., Akshay Wakhare five for 85) & 114 in 34.4 overs (Aditya Sarwate six for 48).