Aditya Sarvate's 6-wicket haul helps Vidarbha edge out Gujarat in a low-scoring thriller

Vidarbha scripted an epic turnaround to beat Gujarat by 18 runs in a Ranji Trophy game at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Thursday, January 19.

Chasing 72 for victory, Vidarbha bundled out Gujarat for just 54 runs. Aditya Sarvate stole the show with the ball, returning with figures of 6/17 in 15.3 overs, while Harsh Dubey picked up three wickets. Siddharth Desai (18 off 47 deliveries), who top-scored for Gujarat in their second innings, was run out.

Incidentally, the two-time Ranji Trophy winner were down and out at Stumps on Day 2. Gujarat needed only 67 runs with nine wickets in hand. But Sarvate's exploits with the ball guided his side to an emphatic win. Only Desai managed to reach double-digit scores among the Gujarat batters.

Vidarbha now have three victories from six games. They are placed second with 19 points, while Madhya Pradesh occupy the top spot with 32 points from five matches. Gujarat, on the other hand, are fifth with 14 points from six games.

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Vidarbha script a historic turnaround against Gujarat

Akshay Wadkar and Co. had a horrific start to the game after being bowled out for 74 runs in their first innings. Chintan Gaja and Tejas Patel picked up five wickets each for Gujarat as only three Vidarbha batters managed to touch the double-digit mark.

In response, Aarya Desai played a fine knock of 88 runs to help his side take a 182-run first-innings lead. Vidarbha, however, came up with a much-improved batting performance in the second essay. Atharva Taide (44), Jitesh Sharma (69), and Nachiket Bhute (42) starred with the bat to help the team post 254 runs.

The writing was on the wall as Gujarat needed only 72 runs to win the game. But Vidarbha's inspired bowling performance meant the visitors were bowled out for just 54 runs as Gujarat lost the match by 18 runs.

A confident Vidarbha side will next lock horns with Punjab at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali, starting on Tuesday, January 24.

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