Nagpur:
Karun Nair scored 132 unbeaten on Saturday in the second innings on the fourth day of the Ranji Trophy final here on Saturday to bring Vidarbha to a strong position with a total lead of 286 runs. Nair scored his fourth century in the current session of Ranji Trophy. He also scored five centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Due to this, he has become a total of nine centuries in this season. This innings of Nair has reached very close to his third title of Vidarbha Ranji Trophy. In the final of the 90th season of the Ranji Trophy, Nair took advantage of life and scored 132 runs in a 280 -ball patient innings. With this, Vidarbha concluded the day for 249 runs for four wickets. Vidarbha took a lead of 37 runs in the first innings. At the end of the day’s play, captain Akshay Wadkar (four not out) was present at the crease with Nair.
Nair gets life
In the 19th over of the day, Akshay Chandran of Kerala drove Nair’s easy catch in the first sleep of Eden Apple Tom. Nair was currently batting for 31 runs. This catch missing had a big impact on the match as Nair did not give any chance to the Kerala bowlers with a century innings.
Important partnership with Malewar
Dinesh Malewar, who scored a brilliant century in the first innings, once again scored 73 runs while batting amazing and made a big 182 -run partnership with Nair for the fourth wicket. Both took the front at the crease when Vidarbha’s team was in trouble losing two wickets for seven runs.
23rd century in first class
Nair has hit 10 fours and two sixes in an unbeaten innings so far. Nair completed his 23rd century of first class cricket by taking one run against Jalaj Saxena (one wicket for 76 runs) in the 59th over. He celebrated this by showing a bat towards the dressing room. After this, he pointed out his fingers and told about the centuries planted in this session. Malevar hit five fours in the 161 -ball innings.
Large start in second innings
Vidarbha, who took a 37 -run lead in the first innings, however, did not get a good start. The team lost the wickets of both the openers in the first session on the fourth day. Veteran spinner Jalaj Saxena dismissed Partha Rekha (one) on his first ball in the second over. At the same time, wicketkeeper Mohammad Azharuddin caught a brilliant catch of Dhruv Shore (five) off the ball of medium fast bowler MD Nidhish (one wicket for 37 runs). Shore stressed the off stump out of the off stump and Azharuddin caught a dive on the right, which Vidarbha lost two wickets for seven runs.
Kerala bowlers did not get opportunities again
Nair and Malewar, after this, did not give much opportunities to the Kerala bowlers while batting with patience and concentration. Nair played many artistic shots in his innings. Both of them broke the 182 -run partnership by Akshay Chandran (one wicket for 29 runs) by catching Malevar by captain Sachin Baby in Sleep. Yash Rathore (24) then added 49 runs for the fourth wicket with Nair. He became a victim of Aditya Sarwate (one wicket for 55 runs). Rathore, however, became the highest run -scorer in the current session as soon as he scored the eighth run of his innings. He left behind the 943 runs figures of Shubham Sharma of Madhya Pradesh.