Mumbai believed they had set Vidarbha a mountain to climb in the Ranji Trophy final. After nearly five sessions and 129 overs, Vidarbha were showing the audacity to get closer to the summit
Covered in the glittering golden confetti, Mumbai’s Tanush Kotian couldn’t let go of the smile. Or the trophy. The season’s man of the series walked around the centre square by himself, hugging and hand-shaking anyone and everyone.
Moments before, he’d cut a frustrated figure. Mumbai believed they had set Vidarbha a mountain to climb in the Ranji Trophy final. After nearly five sessions and 129 overs, Vidarbha were showing the audacity to get closer to the summit.
Chasing 538, Vidarbha brought the equation down to 205 runs in the last two sessions with five wickets in hand. The captain Akshay Wadkar had scored a fine century and with each passing run, the frustration among the Mumbai rank and file piled up. “Ajju bhai (Ajinkya Rahane), DK bhai (Dhawal Kulkarni) kept reminding us to stay patient,” Kotian said. “But it wasn’t easy.”
