Vidarbha maintained their dominance over Mumbai on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy semifinal in Nagpur, reducing the visitors to 188/7 at Stumps while securing a commanding 195-run lead. Parth Rekhade’s sensational three-wicket spell rattled Mumbai’s middle order, overshadowing Akash Anand’s resilient unbeaten 67. Earlier, Shivam Dube’s fiery five-wicket haul (5/49) helped Mumbai wrap up Vidarbha’s innings for 383.

Vidarbha’s Solid Start, Mumbai’s Fightback

Resuming at 308/5, Yash Rathod swiftly reached his half-century before falling to Shardul Thakur, who grabbed a sharp return catch. Akshay Wadkar then counter-attacked, hammering Thakur for three boundaries in an over, but his innings was cut short when Royston Dias had him caught behind. Dube took center stage with three quick wickets in a fiery spell, helping Mumbai dismiss Vidarbha inside the first hour for 383.

Mumbai’s Batting Woes Continue

Mumbai’s innings began cautiously, with Ayush Mhatre surviving an early run-out scare before getting off the mark with a streaky boundary. He played a stylish drive but perished soon after, caught at covers just before Lunch. In the second session, Siddhesh Lad and Anand added a steady 67-run stand, with Lad playing some elegant backfoot strokes. However, Yash Thakur castled Lad right before Tea, leaving Mumbai in a precarious position.

Vidarbha’s Bowling Masterclass

Post-Tea, Ajinkya Rahane looked in good touch, scoring quick boundaries off Yash Thakur. However, luck wasn’t on his side as he survived an LBW dismissal due to an overstep but was later bowled in an unusual fashion—defending a ball that bounced back onto the stumps.

From there, Rekhade took charge, triggering a collapse with a triple-wicket maiden. Suryakumar Yadav chopped a ball onto his pads, resulting in a simple catch at silly point, while Dube edged one to first slip. Harsh Dubey then trapped Shams Mulani LBW, reducing Mumbai to 128/7 after losing five wickets for just four runs.

Shardul Thakur and Anand tried to rebuild, adding 60 runs for the eighth wicket. Anand reached his half-century, but Yash Thakur dismissed Shardul (37) just before Stumps, leaving Vidarbha firmly in control.

Brief Scores:

Vidarbha: 383 (Danish Malewar 79, Dhruv Shorey 74; Shivam Dube 5/49, Royston Dias 2/48)
Mumbai: 188/7 (Akash Anand 67*, Shardul Thakur 37; Parth Rekhade 3/16, Yash Thakur 2/56)