Ranji Trophy | Vidarbha stands between Kerala and glory

Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium hosts Ranji Trophy final between underdog Kerala and balanced Vidarbha team.

Far from the madding crowd lies the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.

It is the last stop for a maddeningly thrilling journey for Kerala in India’s premier domestic cricket tournament. An 81-run partnership by the last pair against Jammu & Kashmir that gave a one-run first-innings lead in the quarterfinal; a two-run lead, courtesy a helmet worn by a close-in fielder, in the semifinal. And both those encounters were decided by the first innings.

You could argue that Sachin Baby’s men have been lucky. But, they have earned that luck.

They have played with a lot of pluck this season to make it to the final of the Ranji Trophy for the first time in history. They may not mind starting as the underdog against Vidarbha in the final starting on Wednesday.

Vidarbha has played some great cricket this season. The home team reached its fourth final in seven years after beating Tamil Nadu and Mumbai outright in the knock-out fixtures. That was after topping the group winning six of its seven games and taking the first-innings lead in the remaining one.

Vidarbha looks a very balanced side, has quite a few players in form, and is going to play its third match in a row at home. The host should be hoping Yash Rathod continues with his dream run with the bat and Harsh Dubey his with the ball.

Rathod has amassed 933 runs, with five centuries, while Dubey has claimed 66 wickets, with seven five-wicket hauls. Skipper and keeper Akshay Wadkar (674) and the born-again Karun Nair (642) have been among the runs, too.