NAGPUR: For the first time this season in Cooch Behar Trophy, Vidarbha experienced a top-order collapse in the first hour or so of the match on Saturday. Vidarbha were in big trouble with the top-4 in-form batters back in the hut by the 17th over with not even 50 runs on board in an all important quarterfinal match against Maharahstra in Pune.
Maharashtra pacers had put Vidarbha under pressure. However, Vidarbha skipper Mohd. Faiz (120 n.o; 243b, 12x4, 1x6) rescued his side with a courageous unbeaten century.
The southpaw Faiz and No.7 Dharmendra Thakur (49 n.o; 183b, 6x4) denied the hosts any success in the next 57.3 overs and took Vidarbha to 237 for 5 at stumps on Day 1 at DY Patil Academy ground.
After winning an important toss, Vidarbha lost 4 wickets in the first session and the fifth wicket in the form of Jagjot Sasan (31; 40b, 4x4, 1x6) in the very first over of the post-lunch session.
Post that, it was a magnificent effort from Faiz and allrounder Thakur, who played in contrast to their natural style of attacking and kept Vidarbha in the game. The duo played 347 deliveries between them and added unbeaten 125 runs for the sixth wicket.
If it were Maharashtra pacers — Yash Borkar (20-4-51-2) & Prathamesh Gawade (20-5-73-3) — who stole Vidarbha's thunder early in the morning, the Faiz-Thakur pair turned the table by squeezing life out of other bowlers by soaking in pressure with their solid defensive technique in the last two sessions.
The hunger of seeing his side reach a respectable total was such that the skipper played 174 dot balls, knowing if he stays in the middle, he can help Vidarba pile up more runs. From the other end, Thakur complemented well with 157 balls.
BRIEF SCORES: Vidarbha 237 for 5 in 90 overs (Mohd. Faiz 120 n.o, Dharmendra Thakur 40 n.o; Prathamesh Gawade 3-73, Yash Borkar 2-51) vs Maharashtra
