NAGPUR, India — Harsh Dubey claimed nine for 53, the best bowling figures by a Vidarbha bowler in Ranji Trophy history, as Vidarbha bowled out Madhya Pradesh for 209 on the opening day of their Elite Group A match at VCA Jamtha Stadium.
Opting to bat first, Madhya Pradesh lost early wickets, with Yash Dubey falling to a catch behind the stumps off Nachiket Bhute. Saksham Purohit and Chanchal Rathore then played defensively before Dubey struck in his second spell, trapping Chanchal leg-before and later dismissing Saksham at slip. Rajat Patidar received a life chance when Akshay Wadkar dropped a catch but departed shortly after, driving to cover.
Atharva Mahajan and Saransh Jain counter-attacked before lunch, dispatching Bhute and Dubey to the boundary twice each. However, Dubey trapped Saransh leg-before just before Mahajan reached his maiden first-class fifty. The Vidarbha spinner then elicited a return catch from Arshad Khan and had Kumar Kartikeya Singh holing out before, with pressure rising, having Mahajan edge to first slip.
Dubey completed his ninth wicket by bowling Ravi Kiran, finishing the Madhya Pradesh innings at 209 in 66.1 overs.
Vidarbha, responding, reached 56 for four at stumps. Dhruv Shorey was batting on 21 and Akshay Wadkar on 9. Satyam Bhoyar and Aman Mokhade had fallen early to Kartikeya, while R. Samarth was dismissed by Avesh.
The result gives Vidarbha a strong position heading into day two, with their spin attack having dismantled the Madhapa Pradesh line-up.
