NAGPUR: Just when it appeared that Gujarat would shock Vidarbha in their own den, Aditya Sarwate decided to write an amazingly different climax. Vidarbha were staring at defeat, after getting all out on 74 in the first innings, then conceding a 182-run lead and managing to set only a 73-run target.
If anyone could win Vidarbha the game from such a situation, it was Sarwate. Left-arm spinner Sarwate scripted a Rafael Nadal-esque comeback, which the tennis star staged at the Australian Open final last year, by snatching six wickets and skittling Gujarat out for just 54 runs to record a scintillating 18-run victory on Day 3 on Thursday. The match ended almost half-an-hour before lunch.
Vidarbha created a record of defending the lowest total in the history of Ranji Trophy. This is also the lowest First-Class total for Gujarat. Along with Sarwate (15.3-6-17-6), young Harsh Dubey (9-0-11-3) did an excellent job of keeping the visiting side guessing. Gujarat had resumed the chase at their overnight score of 6 for 1.
Sarwate, who grabbed a match haul of 11 wickets, showed the way by keeping the ball within the stumps, and Dubey followed his lead. The line was aptly planned, and it earned them 3 caught behinds, 3 LBWs dismissals and 1 bowled. The batters got no chance to even try anything different.
Two batters — Aarya Desai and Umang Kumar — tried to break the shackles on Sarwate's bowling and both were caught out by Yash Thakur. Umang was the last man to get out at long-on, which brought a smile back in the Vidarbha camp, and called for loud celebrations.
Man of the match Sarwate's match figures — 11 for 81 (5-64 & 6-17) — in the match is his career-best bowling performance.
It was his overall third ten-wicket match haul. Another senior spinner Akshay Wakhare also did well by keeping things tight in the 9 overs that he bowled.
The Vidarbha left-arm spinners' line on Thursday was similar to the one bowled by Jammu & Kashmir's left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq, who had taken 8 wickets and led his side to a dramatic 39-run win over Vidarbha on December 30 at Civil Lines stadium.
The preface of Vidarbha's comeback was written by No. 6 Jitesh Sharma, No. 8 Nachiket Bhute and No. 11 Yash Thakur in the second innings. The trio accumulated 103 runs in two partnerships and created an opening for a comeback.
Punjab Kings wicketkeeper Jitesh's (69; 53b, 5x6, 4x4) knock not only shook Gujarat but also triggered the momentum shift on Day 2 afternoon. Vidarbha were 149 for 7 and 33 runs away from an innings defeat. That is when Jitesh played a Rishabh Pant-like cameo.
Along with runs, Jitesh's huge sixes off the bowling of Gujarat's key bowlers made it look like there is light at the end of the tunnel. Jitesh and Nachiket Bhute (42 off 66b) added 78 crucial runs for the 8th wicket. Later, Bhute and Yash Thakur (5 n.o off 20b) scored 25 runs for the last wicket which proved important in the end for Vidarbha.
The Sarwate-driven epic comeback in the match, after losing majority of the moments in this game, is proof of his indomitable spirit. On Day 2 morning, when Gujarat were 141 runs ahead with 5 wickets in hand in the first innings, Vidarbha pacer Nachiket Bhute took Gujarat's sixth wicket. During the celebrations, Sarwate was seen talking to Bhute in an animated manner and giving him kind of a pep talk. It showed that Sarwate still had faith in pulling this off from nowhere and he did.
The match saw 15 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second, and remaining 9 on the third. The match was played on the side pitch at Jamtha since the main wicket is being prepared for the upcoming Test match against Australia.
