Yash Rathod scored an impressive 151, leading Vidarbha to set Mumbai a daunting target of 406 runs to reach the Ranji Trophy final. Vidarbha declared with totals of 383 and 292, while Mumbai ended Day 3 at 83 for 3. Captain Ajinkya Rahane was among the wickets, falling to left-arm spinners, instigating a challenging chase for Mumbai, who are aiming to surpass the highest successful target of 378. Akash Anand remains unbeaten on 27, and Shivam Dube is on 12, as Mumbai tries to achieve a historic win on the final day to claim their 43rd title.
Mumbai 270 and 83 for 3 (Anand 27*, Dube 12*, Dubey 2-26) trails Vidarbha 383 and 292 (Rathod 151, Mulani 6-85) by 323 runs
The task became more daunting for Mumbai as they ended the day in Nagpur at 73 for 3, losing captain Ajinkya Rahane in the closing half-hour. Shivam Dube took the No. 5 spot instead of Suryakumar Yadav, joining first-innings centurion Akash Anand at the crease. It remains uncertain if Suryakumar was dealing with an injury, as he did not participate during Vidarbha’s batting innings.
All three wickets were claimed by left-arm spinners. Harsh Dubey, the season’s leading wicket-taker who surpassed 60 wickets in the first innings, dismissed Mhatre and Lad, while Parth Rekhade, who previously sparked a significant collapse in the first innings by taking out Rahane, Suryakumar, and Dube within two overs, took Rahane’s wicket with a delivery that kept low.
The highlight of Vidarbha’s day was Rathod’s effort in navigating Mumbai’s bowling attack to build his century, initially alongside Akshay Wadkar and later with Rekhade. Rathod and Wadkar revivified the innings from a precarious 56 for 4, adding a substantial 158 runs before Wadkar’s dismissal just before lunch altered the momentum again.
Wadkar, having worked through to a half-century off 200 balls, was bowled by a spectacular delivery from Shams Mulani, playing a poor line on a sharply turning ball. Soon after, Dubey and Darshan Nalkande also succumbed to the spinners as the pitch started favoring spin bowlers who could exploit the rough patches developed at both ends.
It wasn’t until the No. 10 batsman was dismissed that Rathod began to play assertively—partially due to the confidence instilled by having the proficient Rekhade, the No. 3 from the first innings, coming in at No. 9. Rathod reached his milestone of 150 runs just before becoming the last wicket to fall, by which point their lead had exceeded 400. Mulani finished with impressive figures of 6 for 85 over 44 overs.
Vidarbha promptly utilized their spinners with the new ball, and Dubey managed to extract turn and bounce from the rough, even as some deliveries kept low. This factor contributed to all three dismissals. Nonetheless, Anand, who just scored a century in the first innings, appeared composed and demonstrated solid defense, remaining unbeaten on 27, with Dube on 12, as Mumbai faces the monumental challenge of achieving something unprecedented on the final day to pursue title No. 43.