Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Semifinals 1 & 2, Day 2 Review

MD Azharudeen and Parth Rekhade (Source: JioHotstar)

Gujarat vs Kerala, Semi-final 1, Ahmedabad

Kerala had already finished the first day on top with skipper Sachin Baby leading from the front. Though they lost Sachin Baby and star all-rounder Jalaj Saxena early on Day 2 middle order batters Mohammed Azharuddeen and Salman Nizar once again came to the rescue, and got the scoreboard moving, getting the innings under control once again.

The Gujarat bowlers failed to make early breakthroughs in the day and the Kerala batters continued to make merry and ended the day on a big total of 418-7 with Azharuddeen remaining unbeaten on a brilliant 149. It is safe to say that the Kerala side is still in control of the match after two days and the Gujarat bowlers’ struggles have still not ended. Azharuddeen also set a record becoming the first Kerala batter to score a century in a Ranji Trophy semi-final.

Kerala: 418-7 [Mohammed Azharuddeen 149* (303),  Sachin Baby 69 (195), Arzan Nagwaswalla 3/64]

Vidarbha vs Mumbai, Semi-final 2, Nagpur

Vidarbha had also finished the first day strongly but might have felt that they could have scored more on the second day. There were plenty of Vidarbha batters who looked good in the middle but could not go on to make a big score and ended up getting bowled out for 383 runs in the end. While it was Dhruv Shorey and Danish Malewar who shined for Vidarbha it was all-rounder Shivam Dube who created havoc for the batters with the ball taking a brilliant five-wicket haul.

Though it was a decent little comeback for the Mumbai team their batters failed to make much of an impact. The Vidarbha bowlers were all over the Mumbai middle order and have got themselves a chance to restrict the defending champions to a low total. Mumbai are 188/7 at the end of Day 2.

Parth Rekhade was the pick of the bowlers taking three wickets with the ball which included the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shivam Dube. It is wicketkeeper-batter Akash Anand who has kept the innings afloat and has scored and remained unbeaten on a well-made 67.

Vidarbha: 383 [Danish Malewar 79 (157), Dhruv Shorey 74 (109), Shivam Dube 5/49] Mumbai: 188/7 [Akash Anand 67* (171), Shardul Thakur 37 (41), Parth Rekhade 3/16]

Disclaimer: The information presented in this news article is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and perspective. Readers are encouraged to evaluate the details thoughtfully and draw their own conclusions.

angelo

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