Ranji Trophy 2017-18: 5 things that Vidarbha did well this season

Last year, it was the Gujarat team who made headlines by beating the heavyweights Mumbai and winning the Ranji Trophy. To make it into the semifinals is a tough task. This season, Vidarbha has made it to the semis for the first time.

But for reaching the finals, they have a mountain to climb- Beat Karnataka in the semis.

Let's see what worked for them this season:

Openers: Ramaswamy and Fazal

In previous seasons, Vidarbha struggled to find the right opening combination. However, the move to persist with Sanjay Ramaswamy has paid rich dividends. Although Ramaswamy made his debut in 2014, it was in the last season that he actually found his footing in the team. In the last season, he batted for long hours and scored over 450 runs.

With the ever-reliable captain Faiz Fazal at the top, they complemented each other well.

The consistency at the top is evident in this season with the opening partnership averaging 100.88(before the semifinals). They have two 200+ runs opening partnership.

Both the batsmen are in top 10 run scorers list this season.

Experience of seasoned campaigners

Ganesh Satish of Vidarbha

In Vidarbha’s first match against Punjab, Vidarbha were 129/3 after the bowlers bundled the opposition for 161. With the inexperienced middle and lower middle order, it was easy to lose sight. But Ramaswamy in the company of the experienced Ganesh Satish added 178 for the 4th wicket to set the foundation for an outstanding start to their campaign.

Against Goa, both Satish and Wasim Jaffer scored an unbeaten hundred to bat the opposition out of the game. Both these batsmen ensured that they didn't lose wickets in heaps in the middle order. Jaffer coming in at No.3 weathered the storm.

Pace attack of Vidarbha

Vidarbha's Rajneesh Gurbani

Right from the first match when they faced Punjab at Mohali, the fast bowlers were making an impact. After dismissing the tall batting line-up like Punjab twice and winning the match by an innings and 117 runs, there was no looking back.

In the absence of the senior Yadav(Umesh), Lalit Yadav, who made his debut last season has been impressive and made inroads at the crucial junctures for the team. He has been performing really well for them.

After the opening spell of Yadav (Lalit) and Gurbani, Siddhesh Neral has done the job of backup bowler well in pace-friendly conditions.

The biggest plus for them this season has been Rajneesh Gurbani.

Gurbani has taken 24 wickets. He came to the semifinals with two five wicket hauls in 2 matches. With his nagging and probing lengths, he has tested the best of them.

Not dependent on any star player

Spinner Akshay Wakhare has starred in Vidarbha's campaign

Yes, they have Umesh Yadav in their ranks. But he was not available for the most part of their campaign. Other players stepped up to the responsibility. If fast bowlers made early inroads, it was the spin trio of Akshay Wakhare (29 wickets), Aditya Sarwate (26 wickets) and Karn Sharma(14 wickets) who ensured that the pressure was always on the opposition. It was not just their bowling, they also added valuable runs down the order.

When quick runs were required to score, Apoorv Wankhede, Karnewar (in the initial matches) did that job well for them. More recently, wicketkeeper Akash Wadkar has solved the perennial problem of wicketkeeper who could consistently bat well lower down the order

Performance in away games

Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium

This season, the format of home and away games was back. Teams are generally very good on their home grounds and are tested when they play away games.

Vidarbha not only beat strong teams like Punjab and Bengal but did it in an emphatic manner- Punjab (innings and 127 runs) and Bengal(won by 10 wickets) in their own backyard. They topped Group D and stormed into the quarterfinals.