Vidarbha dominated Goa on the opening day of their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur on Monday. After winning the toss and opting to bowl, Vidarbha’s bowlers justified the decision by restricting Goa to 204 for 8 in 86 overs at stumps. Half-centuries by all-rounders Yash Kasvankar and Darshan Misal helped Goa recover from a precarious position.
Vidarbha’s pace bowlers made the most of the conditions at the Jamtha pitch from the outset. Their incisive bowling dismantled Goa’s top order, leaving the visitors struggling at 84 for 6. With Goa in deep trouble, Kasvankar and Misal stitched together a crucial 104-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
Kasvankar remained unbeaten on 51 off 177 balls, hitting four boundaries, while Misal scored 51 off 108 deliveries, including five boundaries and a six. Their partnership helped Goa cross the 200-run mark and provided some much-needed stability to the innings.
However, Vidarbha’s bowlers struck again towards the end of the day, leaving Goa at 204 for 8 at stumps. Kasvankar’s presence at the crease remains a source of hope for the visitors as they look to add valuable runs on the second day.
Nachiket Bhute was Vidarbha’s most successful bowler, claiming four wickets for 40 runs in 18 overs. Experienced pacer Rajneesh Gurbani provided excellent support, taking two wickets for 28 runs in 17 overs, including seven maidens. Harsh Dubey and Parth Rekhade picked up one wicket each to keep Goa’s scoring in check.
Scorecard:
Goa, 1st innings: Suyash Prabhudessai c Harsh Dubey b Nachiket Bhute 1, Shivendra Bhujbal c Danish Malewar b Harsh Dubey 0, Manthan Khutkar c & b Rajneesh Gurbani 16, Abhinav Tejrana c Akshay Wadkar b Nachiket Bhute 30, Snehal Kauthankar c Ravikumar Samarth b Nachiket Bhute 0, Lalit Yadav lbw b Nachiket Bhute 22, Yash Kasvankar not out 51, Darshan Misal st Akshay Wadkar b Parth Rekhade 51, Ruthvik Naik lbw b Rajneesh Gurbani 6, Vasuki Koushik not out 4, Extras 23; Total: 204/8 in 86 overs.
Bowling: Harsh Dubey 18-3-47-1, Nachiket Bhute 18-4-40-4, Yash Thakur 15-3-35-0, Rajneesh Gurbani 17-7-28-2, Parth Rekhade 15-3-31-1, Aman Mokhade 3-1-4-0.
