Ranji trophy final: Malewar, Nair help Vidarbha to 254/4 against Kerala

Danish Malewar (138 not out) and Karun Nair (86) helped Vidarbha to a formidable 254/4 against Kerala at stumps on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy final here on Wednesday.

Nair and Malewar led a strong fightback for the hosts at the VCA Stadium after Kerala seamers struck early to leave Vidarbha struggling at 24/3. The pair put on a resolute 215-run stand for the fourth wicket consuming as many as 414 deliveries across the three sessions, mixing caution with aggression to give Vidarbha a strong footing in the summit clash.

But it ended abruptly against the flow of the game when both Nair and Malewar went for a non-existent run which ended up in the dismissal of the former.

The 21-year-old Malewar, coming in at No. 4, scored his second First-Class century. Malewar made the most of his recent form having notched up scores of 75 and 79 in the knockout games.

“I had not gone in thinking about making a hundred. Initially, we had lost wickets, the bowlers were getting help (from the pitch) and the ball was seaming,” Malewar said.

Malewar said he was determined to score a big knock after making five fifties and one hundred in his debut season. “I had prepared for this. I was getting dismissed (after half-centuries) so my plan was to play as much as I can with the straight bat and keep it simple after reaching fifty,” he said.

Talking about his partnership with Nair, Malewar said the plan was to play with patience. “We wanted to keep it simple, not play too many shots but play with patience,” he said.

But it all began on a nervous note for the hosts on a green-top wicket as the Kerala seamers tested the opposition batters to the hilt.

Brief scores: Vidarbha: 254/4 in 86 overs (Malewar 138*, Nair 86; Nidheesh 2/33) vs Kerala.