Avesh Khan’s incisive bowling spearheaded Madhya Pradesh’s dominance on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Vidarbha in Nagpur. The pacer’s four-wicket haul, complemented by Kulwant Khejroliya and Venkatesh Iyer’s two wickets each, restricted Vidarbha to a paltry 170.
The VCA Stadium pitch offered ample carry, allowing the MP bowlers to exploit the conditions. Avesh struck early, dismissing opener Dhruv Shorey, and continued to trouble the Vidarbha batsmen throughout the innings. Khejroliya and Iyer provided valuable support, keeping the pressure on the opposition.
Vidarbha’s only resistance came from Karun Nair, who top-scored with a gritty 63. However, he lacked support from his teammates, as wickets fell at regular intervals. Atharva Taide and Aman Mokhade shared a 36-run partnership, but it proved insufficient to build a substantial total.
MP’s fielding was equally impressive, with Yash Dubey taking a stunning catch to dismiss Akshay Wadkar. The visitors’ bowlers maintained their accuracy throughout the day, preventing Vidarbha from gaining any momentum.
In response, MP reached 47 for one at close, trailing by 123 runs. The lone wicket to fall was that of Dubey, who edged Umesh Yadav to Wadkar.
Avesh Khan’s performance has put MP in a commanding position in the semifinal. The pacer’s ability to extract bounce and movement from the pitch has made him a key threat to Vidarbha’s hopes of a comeback.
