Ranji Trophy 2018-19, Final, Vidarbha vs Saurashtra - Who Said What

Vidarbha have successfully managed to win the Ranji Trophy for the second consecutive year. They defeated Saurashtra stunningly by 78 runs on the last day of the match and proved that the glory which they achieved last year was not a fluke and they always had it in them to win the most coveted title in the Indian domestic cricket.

Aditya Sarwate was the hero for Vidarbha in the second innings as he added crucial 49 runs with the tail and then went on to pick six wickets. Fittingly, he took the winning catch to stamp his team’s authority in the final. The fifth day started with Saurashtra at 58/5 and many had predicted it to be a straight forward victory for the hosts.

But the way Saurashtra’s tail had wagged in their first essay, it wasn’t going to be easy to roll them over. Kamlesh Makvana and Vishavraj Jadeja denied them a wicket in the first 12 overs of the day. Just when one thought that finally, things were going the batting side’s way, the former shouldered arms to a straight delivery from Sarwate to see his timber disturbed.

Jadeja fights

Vishavraj Jadeja continued to fight and had got the measure of the conditions. He played patiently even as the wickets kept on falling at the other end. A fighting half-century from him somehow kept Saurashtra in the game but there was no support from the other end. Finally, even he lost his cool and went to play a shot across the line only to be pinned in front of the stumps on 52.

The last two wickets were pretty easy as the likes of Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya couldn’t replicate their first innings heroics again. Dharmendrasinh Jadeja tried his level best by hogging the strike but the target was far away and the lone big shot which he tried ended the innings for Saurashtra. The scenes of jubilation in one camp were clearly visible while there was a sense of missed opportunity in the other.

Umesh Yadav said:

Brilliant performance from the boys, really good. It’s a big achievement for Vidarbha. The way support staff handled all the players and helped them was really good. The youngsters have gained a lot of maturity over the years and we would like to keep it going. Few years ago, people didn’t know much about Vidarbha but now they will know Vidarbha is in which part of the country.

Wasim Jaffer said:

Absolutely great feeling. Playing tenth final is not a small thing, winning two in two is outstanding. I enjoy playing cricket. Chandrakant Pandit brought me to Vidarbha from Mumbai and he gave me a lot of confidence. I know only playing cricket and I don’t want to let it go.

Saurashtra captain, Jaydev Unadkat said:

The final lived up to its expectation. It was a close game and we fought really hard. Credit goes to Vidarbha. The brand of cricket we played was impressive and until I am leading this bunch, I will ensure that we play the same way.

Many guys debuted this season and had a good run in the team. It wasn’t just about Cheteshwar or Ravindra, but the youngsters stood up in the knockouts and in the league stage. I just hope to lead this bunch of guys and nurture this brand of cricket.

We have given it everything and fought till the end. It has been a good season personally and hope to continue the same form. Lot to learn from Vidarbha and that’s how you improve your cricket.

Vidarbha captain, Faiz Fazal said:

It feels unreal. Behind all this there is a lot of hard work from each and everyone. It is different, first time is always special but we had to work really hard this season. The whole team have worked hard in the off season.

Really happy with the entire season but more happy with the way we played this final. Can’t thank them enough, each and every member of the support stuff has been incredible. They give us everything and make our life comfortable. Lucky charm maybe (talking about captaincy). Hopefully I continue for a few more years.

Man of the Match, Aditya Sarwate said:

It was a terrific final. I would like to congratulate the Saurashtra team to coming this far. They (team management) are always there for us. In the second innings it was difficult to rotate the strike but the idea was to bat long and let the pitch deteriorate. The runs with the tail were crucial.

Vidarbha coach, Chandrakant Pandit said:

It’s a very important win for us. People were saying it’s fluke, but we have proved them wrong and won it for the second time. There was a lot of pressure, we only followed the process. You can see the results. It’s just a matter of beginning for us. The support from the association was great.

Akshay Wakhare said:

He’s (Wasim Jaffer) one of the best professional, all credit goes to him. Everybody were saying it’s fluke and fluke when we won the Ranji Trophy last year. I want to tell them all that it’s again second time fluke.

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