Ranji Trophy 2024/25, VIDAR vs KER Final Match Report, February 26 – March 02, 2025

Vidarbha scored 379 and 249 for 4 (Nair 132*, Malewar 73), establishing a lead of 286 runs over Kerala with their total of 342 (Baby 98, Sarwate 79; Nalkande 3-52, Rekhade 3-65, Dubey 3-88).

Now, two seasons later, Nair is pivotal in Vidarbha’s pursuit of a third Ranji Trophy title, having batted throughout the day to secure an unbeaten 132—his 23rd first-class century and fourth of the current season. This effort significantly increased Vidarbha’s lead to 286 runs at the end of the day, while crucially retaining six wickets in hand. Should Nair lift the trophy, it would mark his third title, following two with Karnataka in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.

The partnership between Malewar and Nair flourished to 182 runs for the third wicket, with Malewar contributing 73 to complement his magnificent 153 in the first innings. Their resilience alleviated any potential pressure on Vidarbha following the early dismissals of Parth Rekhade and Dhruv Shorey within the first three overs. Rekhade was clean bowled by an impressive delivery from Jalaj Saxena, while Shorey fell to Mohammed Azharuddeen’s spectacular catch that snagged a healthy edge in front of first slip.

Kerala had a chance for a third wicket soon after, but fortune favored Malewar once more, as DRS overturned a lbw decision off Saxena, labeling it as umpire’s call. This marked the beginning of a frustrating few hours for Kerala, where they dropped a straightforward catch off a crucial player, saw two of their frontline seamers—Nidheesh and N Basil—receive warnings for infringing on the danger area of the pitch, and allowed two significant nicks off Saxena to slip through an empty slip cordon at a critical moment. All these factors combined to provide Vidarbha with the momentum they needed.

In the seventh over of the day, Malewar received another lifeline, successfully overturning an lbw decision against Nidheesh with DRS after being ruled out. Replays revealed the ball had swung late and would have missed the leg stump. Quick developments were unfolding, and Kerala should have maintained their aggressive approach but ultimately fell short.

Nair exhibited great proficiency in finding gaps through the cover as Kerala left the off-side open, allowing him to drive against the turn. His skill was further demonstrated by his ability to execute a precise reverse sweep, making him a challenging target for the bowlers. Malewar showcased commendable composure as he absorbed the pressure from Saxena, playing mostly within himself until he reached his half-century and then confidently stepped out to execute a stunning drive over mid-off.

As their partnership solidified, Kerala briefly shifted to a leg-stump line to try to disrupt the batters. However, realizing the lead their opponents had, they understood the need for a more aggressive tactic, but by then, the duo had already accumulated 100 runs.

Nair was fortunate to be reprieved at 65 when a leading edge off Saxena failed to reach the bowler, prompting him to offset the pressure with a reverse sweep. On his way to a century, he surpassed the 800-run mark for the season and surged into the 80s with two consecutive sixes off Aditya Sarwate—one over long-on and the other over long-off. Upon reaching his century, Nair dropped his bat, took off his gloves, and raised both palms towards the dressing room—a symbolic gesture representing his nine hundreds over the season—before resuming his stance and continuing to weather the bowling attack.

Subsequently, Nair faced a sharp delivery from Sarwate that spun back in and trapped him lbw, a decision that was reversed in Kerala’s favor thanks to DRS. Nonetheless, instances like that were few and far between on a largely disappointing day for Kerala, whose aspirations for a maiden title appear to be dwindling, as they now need a miracle to make this match competitive on the final day.