By Admin 
Yash Dhull found allies in all-rounders Saransh Jain and Manav Suthar. But the Delhi youngster’s counterattack only delayed the inevitable for Rest of India (RoI) as a well-oiled Vidarbha unit maintained its supremacy by winning a third Irani Cup title here on Sunday.
All five Vidarbha bowlers chipped in with crucial breakthroughs. Yash Thakur claimed the prized scalp of Dhull (92, 117b, 8×4, 1×6) and was involved in an exchange of words with the latter. Vidarbha bowled RoI out for 267, three minutes before the tea break, on the fifth and final day.
The 93-run victory maintained Vidarbha’s streak of Ranji and Irani double every time it has won the premier domestic competition.
RoI captain Rajat Patidar and Ishan Kishan started the day with the team reeling at 30 for two in pursuit of 361. An hour into the day’s proceedings, however, the writing was on the wall, with Vidarbha having reduced the fancied RoI line-up to 80 for five.
While Patidar offered a regulation return catch to lanky Aditya Thakare in the fifth over of the morning, Ruturaj Gaikwad returned with his second single-digit score in the match, poking at one in the perfect channel by pacer Darshan Nalkande. Ishan then holed out in the deep off Harsh Dubey’s spin and Vidarbah was sensing a comfortable win.
Dhull then started a counterattack with leftie Saransh Jain for company. Dhull’s cut shots off pacers and spinners alike were a treat to watch until Jain missed one that turned into him by Parth Rekhade, the other left-arm spinner.
Dhull started taking calculated risks and with the ball turning softer, it worked in his favour. Suthar (56 n.o., 113b, 4×4, 1×6), too batted effortlessly.
Just when the partnership had crossed the three-digit mark and Dhull had entered the 90s, he tried to upper cut a short one outside off for a six. But Atharva Taide at deep third ran a few steps to his right and judged the ball to perfection inches inside the rope to tilt the game in Vidarbha’s favour again.
Taide was soon back in action — running backward from the slip — to catch a toe edge off last-man Gurnoon Brar off Dubey and spark celebrations in the Vidarbha camp.
The scores: Vidarbha 342 & 232 bt Rest of India 214 & 267 in 73.5 overs (Yash Dhull 92, Manav Suthar 56 n.o., Harsh Dubey 4/73). PoM: Taide.