In a 2022/23 Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match in Nagpur, Vidarbha lost seven wickets for four runs to crash to a spectacular defeat against Jammu & Kashmir.
Opting to bat in an ‘away’ match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jammu & Kashmir were bowled out for 191 against Nachiket Bhute (3-42), Yash Thakur (4-40), and Aditya Sarwate (3-44). Their bowlers, Umar Nazir Mir (5-39) and Abid Mushtaq (3-66), hit back to reduce Vidarbha to 85-5 before Atharva Taide (74), Sarwate (75), and Harsh Dubey (55) secured an 81-run lead for the hosts.
Jammu & Kashmir captain Shubham Khajuria then rose to the occasion. Opening batting, he was last out – stumped – for a 177-ball 109 with 15 fours and four sixes even as Sarwate (3-45) and Akshay Wakhare (4-50) shared seven wickets. Despite Khajuria’s heroics, Vidarbha – who have won the Ranji Trophy twice in the last four editions – were left with only 141 to score.
Opening bowling for Jammu & Kashmir, Umar and Abid quickly reduced Vidarbha to 40-3 before Taide (42) and wicketkeeper Akshay Wadkar (28) added 57 for the fourth wicket. At 97-3, it was Vidarbha’s match to lose – and they did exactly that.
Abid struck first, having Taide caught by Henan Nazir. Dubey got a run, but Umar had him caught by Musaif Ajaz in the next over, and Vidarbha were suddenly 98-5. The target was still 43 away. At the other end, Abid bowled Wadkar; four balls later, he had Sarwate leg-before.
Mohit Kale and Bhute got a run apiece to take Vidarbha to three figures, but Abid struck again with the first ball of his next over, this time having Bhute caught by Musaif. Wakhare got a single, but Abid now trapped Kale leg-before. Two balls still remained in the over, and Abit rounded off the match with the second of these, bowling Thakur.
From 97-3, Vidarbha had slumped to 101: they had lost seven wickets for three runs in 28 balls. Umar finished with 2-34, while Abid’s 8-18 were the best bowling figures for Jammu & Kashmir. Abid improved on Ravinder Pandit’s 8-33 against Services in 1986/87. However, Pandit’s 13-81 from that match still remain the best match figures for the team (Abid had 11-84 here).
This was Jammu & Kashmir’s first win against Vidarbha in First-class cricket. They had lost both their previous encounters, by an innings and 112 runs (in 2003/04) and by eight wickets (in 2010/11). They had never previously bowled out Vidarbha for under 379.
