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Vidarbha continued their unbeaten run in Irani Cup clashes, defeating Rest of India by 93 runs in a pulsating title clash at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on Sunday. The win marks their third triumph in the prestigious fixture. Chasing a steep target of 361, Rest of India were all out for 267 in the second session of the fifth day. Yash Dhull top-scored with 92, while Manav Suthar contributed a gritty 56. However, Vidarbha’s bowlers, led by left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey (4/73) and pacer Yash Thakur (2/47), ensured their dominance throughout the match. Rest of India had slumped to 133 for six on the final morning, but Dhull and Suthar resurrected the innings with a 104-run stand for the seventh wicket. The fightback, however, ended when Thakur dismissed Dhull with a sharp catch taken by Atharva Taide at deep third man. The dismissal sparked a heated moment on the field, with Thakur and Dhull almost exchanging blows after a heated send-off. Both the umpires and Vidarbha players intervened to calm the situation. The match referee is expected to issue sanctions to the involved players. Thakur immediately struck again, removing Akash Deep, before Dubey wrapped up the innings to seal victory for Vidarbha. Vidarbha’s all-round performance was highlighted by Atharva Taide, who scored 143 in the first innings and took the crucial catch to dismiss Dhull. Taide was named Player of the Match. “Last couple of seasons weren’t great for me. But this season, I prepared very well. I wanted to make an impact for my team and starting the season with the Irani Cup had been better than this. So all this evening is for VCA. Everybody, my coach, selector, everybody who’s back me throughout the season is for them,” he said. Rest of India skipper Rajat Patidar acknowledged Vidarbha’s superiority. “Vidarbha played well and were deserving winners. If we had applied ourselves in a better way, after assessing the conditions, I think we could have come close to the total,” he said. National selectors would also have noted the fitness of Akash Deep, who bowled 29 overs across both innings and took three wickets after recovering from a shoulder injury suffered during the Oval Test against England.
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What do you think about the heated moment between Thakur and Dhull?
Abhimanyu Easwaran’s struggles in crucial knock-out matches continued despite scoring a half-century in the first innings. He was dismissed in both innings in similar fashion, trapped plumb in front by left-arm spinners.Brief Scores: Vidarbha: 342 & 232 Rest of India: 214 & 267 (chasing 361) (Yash Dhull 92, Manav Suthar 56; Harsh Dubey 4/73, Yash Thakur 2/47)
