Karun Nair's Century Elevates Vidarbha's Position in Ranji Final
27 days ago | 5 Views
Nagpur:He narrowly missed scoring a century in the first innings; however, Karun Nair significantly compensated for that shortfall on Saturday, leading Vidarbha to a commanding position with an overall advantage of 286 runs at the close of play on Day Four of their Ranji Trophy final against Kerala. At the end of the day, Nair remained unbeaten on 132, while captain Akshay Wadkar contributed 4 runs.
This marked Nair’s fourth century of the Ranji Trophy season and his ninth overall, which includes five centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, bringing Vidarbha closer to securing their third Ranji Trophy title. The significance of this century is not lost on Kerala, especially considering their previous decision not to offer Nair a professional contract when he was released by Karnataka. With only one day of play remaining, Nair has effectively closed the door on Kerala's chances.
A crucial moment occurred in the 19th over when a straightforward catch was dropped, which had a substantial impact on the innings. Nair capitalized on this opportunity to score another impressive century, consistently thwarting Kerala's efforts throughout the day. Danish Malewar also excelled for the home team at Jamtha’s VCA Stadium, following up his first-innings score of 153 with a determined 73.
The pivotal moment of the day transpired in the 19th over when Akshay Chandran failed to secure a routine catch at first slip off young pacer Eden Apple Tom while Nair was on 31. The delivery was short, causing the ball to rise unexpectedly, and it edged towards first slip, where Chandran was positioned to catch it with his hands cupped in front of his face. Unfortunately, he could not maintain control, and the ball slipped from his grasp. Following this incident, Nair offered little to his opponents.
With 10 fours and two sixes, Nair constructed another remarkable innings, adding to his accolades this season. His celebration upon reaching the century was entirely appropriate, as he removed his helmet and waved it towards the dressing room along with his bat, subsequently signaling the number 'nine' with his fingers to indicate the total centuries he has achieved this season.
Nair and Malewar united once again to challenge Kerala, reminiscent of their earlier partnership in the first innings, where they established a 115-run collaboration. By maintaining a straightforward approach while seizing scoring opportunities, the duo amassed 182 runs for the third wicket, effectively shifting the momentum of the match away from Kerala.
Malewar was dismissed for 73 runs off 162 balls, including five boundaries, when Chandran induced an outside edge that was caught by Sachin Baby at first slip. Yash Rathod contributed 24 runs, adding another 49 runs for the fourth wicket alongside Nair before being adjudged leg before wicket by Aditya Sarwate, who finished with figures of 1/55.
Brief Scores: Vidarbha 379 & 249/4 in 90 overs (Danish Malewar 73, Karun Nair 132*; Akshay Chandran 1/29); Kerala 342.
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