Vidarbha closes in on thrilling win over Madhya Pradesh

NAGPUR: Vidarbha took command of its Ranji Trophy semifinal with the key wicket of Yash Dubey (94) late on day four as it inched closer to a thrilling victory over Madhya Pradesh here on Tuesday.

Heading into the final day on Wednesday, host Vidarbha is a mere four wickets away from setting up a date in the summit clash with Mumbai, while Madhya Pradesh, which still needs 93 runs to win, will hope its tailenders can produce an inspired fightback.

The game tilted in favour of host Vidarbha in the penultimate over of the day when Aditya Sarwate (2/51) had Dubey caught by Aman Mokhade, dealing a body blow to Madhya Pradesh’s hopes of making it to its second final in three years.

Chasing 321 to win, Madhya Pradesh reached 228 for six at stumps on the fourth day with its last recognised batter in Saransh Jain (16 not out) joined by Kumar Kartikeya, requiring a huge effort with the bat with not much left in the tank.

To his credit, Dubey battled hard for Madhya Pradesh with a fine knock even as wickets kept tumbling at the other end. The right-handed batter showed grit and composure in a tough chase with a long haul, consuming 212 balls to get his 94 runs with 10 fours.

Dubey forged a crucial 106-run stand for the second wicket with Harsh Gawali (67 from 80 balls, 11x4s), but once the pair was separated, Vidarbha kept making regular inroads to leave Madhya Pradesh in trouble.

BRIEF SCORES: Vidarbha 170 & 402 vs Madhya Pradesh 252 & 228/6 in 71 overs (Y Dubey 94, H Gawli 67, A Wakhare 3/38)