Vidarbha bowled out Gujarat for a mere 54 runs in the Ranji Trophy on Thursday, successfully defending a target of 73 and setting a new record for the lowest total ever defended in the tournament's history. This record was previously held by Bihar, who defended 78 against Delhi in the 1948/49 season, bowling them out for a mere 48 runs in that innings.
Aditya Sarvate shone with the ball for Vidarbha, finishing with impressive figures of 6/17 to help his team secure a victory by 18 runs. His stellar performance was instrumental in the team's success.
Vidarbha, electing to bat first, was dismissed for a meager 74 runs. Gujarat then managed to amass a 182-run lead in the first innings, thanks to Aarya Desai's impressive 88-run knock. Vidarbha responded with 254 runs in their second innings, setting a target of 73 for Gujarat. As the day two of the match came to a close, Gujarat had reached 6 runs for the loss of one wicket.
On Thursday, Gujarat's hopes of victory were dashed when Desai fell in the ninth over, leaving the team's total at 17. The next seven wickets fell for a mere 26 runs, and Umang's 29-ball rearguard was ended by Sarvate, sealing the victory for Vidarbha. Harsh Dubey was the star of the show, taking three wickets.
Siddharth Desai put up a valiant effort with 18 off 47, but it was not enough to see Gujarat through. With this win, Vidarbha now has 19 points in Elite Group C, overtaking Gujarat and the Railways and tying with second-placed Punjab, who are currently playing against Madhya Pradesh.
Meanwhile, the lowest total ever successfully defended in all first-class cricket still stands at an astonishing 41 runs. In 1794, the legendary bowler Oldfield bowled out the Marylebone Cricket Club for a mere 34 runs at the iconic Lord's Old Ground.
Brief Scores: Vidarbha 74 (Sanjay 33, Tejas 5-19, Gaja 5-51) and 254 (Jitesh 69, Taide 44, Siddharth 6-74) beat Gujarat 256 (Aarya 88, Merai 40, Sarwate 5-64) and 54 (Siddharth 18, Sarwate 6-17) by 18 runs
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