Nagpur— Vidarbha stamped their authority over Odisha in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A encounter at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, ending Day 3 well on course for victory. The hosts, powered by twin centuries from Dhruv Shorey and Aman Mokhade, declared their second innings at 218 for 2 to set Odisha a daunting target of 427. By stumps, Odisha had reached 44 without loss, still trailing by 383 runs.
The match began with Odisha winning the toss and opting to field, hoping to exploit early movement on a fresh surface. However, Vidarbha’s experienced top order blunted the new ball effectively. Dhruv Shorey played a masterful knock of 144 in the first innings, anchoring Vidarbha’s total of 286 all out from 118.4 overs. Odisha’s bowlers, led by pacer Rajesh Mohanty, bowled with heart but lacked penetration as Shorey kept the scoreboard ticking with crisp strokeplay and firm temperament.
Odisha’s reply faltered badly. Apart from a gritty 41 from Subhranshu Senapati, no batter could settle in as the side folded for just 160 in 73.3 overs. Vidarbha’s spinners and seamers shared the spoils, exposing Odisha’s batting frailty against disciplined line and length. The first-innings lead of 126 gave Vidarbha full control of the contest.
Capitalising on the advantage, Vidarbha’s second-innings charge was ruthless. Shorey continued his superb form with another fluent century, this time unbeaten on 101, while Aman Mokhade matched him stroke for stroke with a fine 101 of his own. The duo’s unbroken partnership drove Vidarbha to a commanding 218 for 2 before skipper Faiz Fazal declared, giving his bowlers enough time to force a result.
Chasing a mammoth target, Odisha’s openers began cautiously, surviving the 12 overs before stumps without damage. At 44 for no loss, they showed signs of resilience, but with more than 380 runs still to chase, survival rather than victory seems the only realistic option.
As the match heads into the final day, Vidarbha stand just 10 wickets away from sealing a dominant win, while Odisha will need a marathon batting effort to avoid defeat. With Shorey’s twin centuries and Mokhade’s classy ton defining the contest so far, Vidarbha’s all-round superiority has been the clear story of this Ranji Trophy fixture.
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