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Ranji Trophy final: Rajneesh Gurbani’s hat-trick, batsmen make it Vidarbha’s day
Rajneesh Gurbani’s hat-trick helped Vidarbha seize control of the Ranji Trophy final against Delhi on Day 2 in Indore, before the batsmen consolidated.
A hat-trick by Rajneesh Gurbani and fifties from captain Faiz Fazal and veteran Wasim Jaffer left Vidarbha (206/4) just 89 runs behind Delhi’s total of 295, at stumps on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy final in Indore. Jaffer was unbeaten on 61. (Ranji Trophy final, Day 2 HIGHLIGHTS)
Gurbani, who has been building his reputation as a big-game player for Vidarbha, had bagged 12/162 against Karnataka in the semis. On Saturday, he took a hat-trick to put Delhi on back foot.
The 24-year-old right-arm fast bowler produced one of the best spells in the tournament’s history after Dhruv Shorey’s century had propelled the seven-time champions to 271/6 on the first day.
“It’s every fast bowler’s dream to take a hat-trick and a five-wicket haul in a big match like a Ranji Trophy final,” Gurbani told reporters after the day’s play.
“I’m happy with my performance. Pretty satisfied that I contributed.”
Delhi falter
Shorey and Vikas Mishra, the two overnight batsmen, faced an unplayable spell of fast bowling from Rajneesh Gurbani and debutant Aditya Thakare, who had taken the wickets of Kunal Chandela and Nitish Rana in the first session of Day 1.
They were 290/6 when Gurbani wreaked havoc in the 101st over. He got rid of Mishra (7) with an in-swinging delivery that rattled the Delhi No. 8’s stumps. On the next ball, he removed Navdeep Saini with a seaming in delivery that beat the tail-ender’s defence and crashed onto his stumps.
On the first ball of the 103rd over, Gurbani got the better of Shorey (145) -- uprooting the off stump and becoming the second bowler after Tamil Nadu’s B Kalyanasundaram to take a hat-trick in a Ranji Trophy final.
In the same over, he bowled Kulwant Khejroliya (0), putting an end to Delhi’s first innings and finishing with figures of 6/59. Four out of his six wickets came in the last seven balls he bowled. It was his 5th five-wicket haul on the trot.
Fazal, Jaffer shine
In reply, Fazal and Sanjay Ramaswamy got Vidarbha off to a brilliant start, facing little challenge from Delhi bowlers.
The duo put on a 96-run stand before fast bowler Akash Sudan, playing just his second first-class game, got the ball to move in a bit. It got the inside edge of Ramaswamy’s bat and disturbed his stumps.
Fazal continued to pile on the runs and brought up his half-century. The left-handed batsman, who has scored five centuries this season, looked set to get a big one before becoming Sudan’s second victim. He scored 67.
Jaffer then held one end together and hit his third half-century of the season.
