Nagpur, Oct 2 (PTI) Ranji champions Vidarbha stifled Rest of India batters to 142 for 5 to put themselves on the front foot as bad light forced early close of Day 2 in their Irani Cup match here on Thursday.
Resuming the day on 280 for 5, Vidarbha added 62 runs from 17.4 overs for the loss of five wickets to be all out for 342 in the morning session. They faced 101.4 overs in total.
Overnight centurion Atharva Taide added 25 runs to his Wednesday score of 118 to finally get out for 143.
In reply, Rest of India batters, except for opener Abhimanyu Easwaran (52) and captain Rajat Patidar (42 not out), struggled to get going as they made 142 for 5 at stumps from 53 overs to trail Vidarbha by 200 runs.
Manav Suthar (1 not out) was giving company to Patidar when the umpires called early stumps after checking the light meter.
Rest of India got 10 overs in the morning session and scored 20 runs from that with Easwaran and Aryan Juyal unseparated at the lunch break.
In the post lunch session, Rest of India scored 74 runs for the loss of two wickets. Easwaran and Juyal stitched 52 runs for the opening wicket before the latter got out for 23 off 63 balls in the 20th over off the bowling of Parth Rekhade.
One down, Yash Dhull did not last long as he made 11 from 12 balls before becoming the second Rest of India batter to be dismissed, Harsh Dubey being the wicket-taking bowler.
At tea, Rest of India were 94 for 2, trailing by 248 runs. They could score just 48 runs in the truncated final session as early stumps was called due to bad light.
More importantly, Rest of India lost three crucial wickets, that of Easwaran (52), Ruturaj Gaikwad (9) and Ishan Kishan (1) to give the upper hand to Vidarbha.
For Vidarbha, Parth Rekhade was the most successful bowler with figures of 2/24, while Harsh Dubey, Darshan Nalkande and Yash Thakur took a wicket apiece.
Brief Scores: Vidarbha 1st Innings: 280/5 in 84 overs (Atharva Taide 118 not out, Yash Rathod 91; Akash Deep 2/35, Manav Suthar 3/64).
Rest of India 1st Innings: 142 for 5 in 53 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 52, Rajat Patidar 42 not out; Parth Rekhade 2/24). PTI PDS AM PDS AM AM