Watch: Yash Dubey’s 94 kept Madhya Pradesh in the hunt as they set out to chase 321 in the 2024 Ranji Trophy semi-final against Vidarbha.
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Vidarbha were bowled out for 170 after Akshay Wadkar won the toss and opted to bat at Nagpur. Karun Nair top-scored with 63, while Avesh Khan claimed 4-49.
Madhya Pradesh responded with 252. Opener-wicketkeeper Himanshu Mantri (126) made exactly half their runs as Umesh Yadav returned 3-40 and Yash Thakur 3-51.
Leading by 82, Vidarbha were soon reduced to 161-5 before Yash Rathod (141, his maiden first-class hundred) and Wadkar (77) stretched their total to 402. For Madhya Pradesh, Anubhav Agarwal picked up 5-92.
Dubey, the third Yash of the match, had made only 11 in the first innings, but he had made 64 in the quarter-final, against Andhra, and 68 in Madhya Pradesh’s last league match, against Jammu & Kashmir.
Mantri fell early in the second innings, but Dubey stayed put as No.3 Harsh Gawli slammed an 80-ball 67 out of a second-wicket stand of 106. There was no major partnership after that as wickets fell at the other end, but Dubey helped his team cross the 200-run mark.
He eventually fell to Aditya Sarwate an over before stumps, for a 212-ball 94 with 10 fours. Madhya Pradesh finished the fourth day on 227-6 with Saransh Jain (16) and Kumar Kartikeya (0) at the crease. They need another 93 to win.
