NAGPUR: Vidarbha's senior batter Mohit Kale and skipper Siddesh Wath were framing a solid reply to Mumbai until Kale was caught in a double mind in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy title-decider on Tuesday.
When Vidarbha were on course, Kale looked to play a sweep shot on a delivery that was way outside off but ended up flicking a catch to the bowler - Sham Mulani. Post Kale's fall, Mumbai attacked on all fronts to secure an 83-run lead which put them in a winning position on Day-3 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Kale (60; 87b, 8x4) became the fifth man to get out when the score was 247. Vidarbha lost the next five batters adding just 138 runs. They managed 385 in reply to Mumbai's 468. In the second essay, Mumbai were 14 for no loss with 97 runs lead and a day to go.
The 104-run partnership between Kale and Wath (55; 84b, 6x4, 1x6) had left Mumbai clueless. They collected runs at a brisk pace playing 135 balls between them. The pair targeted Mumbai's go-to bowler Mulani (31.2-4-112-4) and pacers who were on the money with the old ball.
Left-arm spinner Mulani, who has 25 wickets in 5 innings in the tournament so far, shifted the balance of the game in Mumbai's favour by testing Kale with outside-off line.
Post that Vidarbha's Mandar Mahale (81; 85b, 7x4, 3x6) tried his best but he ran out of partners. The southpaw saw reliable Wath, Harsh Dubey (24), Nachiket Bhute (9) and Parth Rekhade (7), all who can bat well, departing, with him stranded at one end. Mahale was the last man to get out.
Before Mumbai were made to look clueless by Kale and Wath, overnight pair of Yash Rathod (41 off 123b) and Yash Kadam (61 off 111) kept the rivals at bay. They joined hands after losing both openers for 33 on Monday and compiled 83 runs between them.
Rathod, Vidarbha's highest run-getter this season, got out playing a loose shot, while pacer Minad Manjrekar castled Kadam's furniture by exposing his bat-pad gap.
BRIEF SCORE:
Mumbai 468 & 14 for no loss lead Vidarbha (Vidarbha 37-2) 385 all out in 102.2 overs (Mandar Mahale 81, Yash Kadam 61, Mohit Kale 60, Siddesh Wath 55; Shams Mulani 4-113, Khizar Dafedar 2-68, Minad Manjrekar 2-83) by 97 runs
