Umesh Yadav bowled fast. Kerala’s capitulation was faster.
The host’s second innings lasted just 24.5 overs to give defending champion Vidarbha an easy passage into the Ranji Trophy final.
Incredibly, the five-day semifinal was over 24 minutes after lunch on the second day at the Wayanad Cricket Stadium, when Umesh took his fifth wicket of the innings and 12th for the match.
Memorable
He ended up with career-best figures of 12 for 79. In his last match, the quarterfinal against Uttarakhand at Nagpur, he had taken nine wickets. It has, indeed, been a memorable return home after the Test tour of Australia for the pacer.
Kerala, of course, would want to forget this home match in a hurry.
Batting was not easy on a greenish wicket against a fine seam attack led by Umesh, and its batsmen had to be at the wicket at the toughest period — the morning session — in both innings.
Still, Sachin Baby and his men would be disappointed that they went down without a fight in their maiden semifinal, losing by an innings and 11 runs in what could well be the shortest Ranji semifinal ever.
The day had begun promisingly, though, with formidable new-ball duo of Sandeep Warrier and Basil Thampi claiming the last five Vidarbha wickets in quick time.
Resuming at 171 for five, Vidarbha could add only 35 runs more, and that too thanks to some hefty blows from Umesh, who put on 14 for the last wicket with fellow-seamer Yash Thakur.
Vidarbha lost its last eight wickets for an addition of 38. There were five wickets for Warrier — for the fourth time this season — and four for Thampi.
Now it was up to the Kerala batsmen to go through till lunch without too much damage in the second innings.
They began promisingly enough, with opener Arun Karthik taking 10 off the first over of the innings, as he pulled Rajneesh Gurbani for four and then lofted him for a straight six.
Though he lost his partner Jalaj Saxena — caught behind off Umesh — new batsman Vishnu Vinod gave him support for a while.
Beginning of the end
But, at 59 for one, Umesh induced an outside edge from Vishnu to Faiz Fazal at second slip. In the very next over, Karthik (36) fell lbw to Thakre, who went on to finish with career-best four for 28.
Kerala then just fell apart, being bundled out for 91.
The scores:
Kerala – 1st innings: 106.
Vidarbha – 1st innings: Faiz Fazal c Azharuddeen b Warrier 75, Sanjay Ramaswamy b Nidheesh 19, Wasim Jaffer c Karthik b Nidheesh 34, Atharva Taide c Nidheesh b Warrier 23, Rajneesh Gurbani c Azharuddeen b Thampi 0, Aditya Sarvate c Azharuddeen b Warrier 6, Ganesh Satish c Azharuddeen b Thampi 0, Akshay Wadkar c sub b Thampi 0, Mohit Kale c Karthik b Warrier 12, Umesh Yadav (not out) 17, Yash Thakur c Azharuddeen b Warrier 1; Extras (b-4, lb-12, nb-5): 21. Total (in 52.4 overs): 208.
Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-113, 3-170, 4-171, 5-171, 6-172, 7-172, 8-183, 9-194.
Kerala bowling: Warrier 16.4-3-57-5, Thampi 17-3-64-3, Nidheesh 13-1-53-2, Saxena 6-1-18-0.
Kerala – 2nd innings: Arun Karthik lbw b Thakur 36, Jalaj Saxena c Wadkar b Umesh 7, Vishnu Vinod c Fazal b Umesh 15, Sachin Baby run out 0, Mohammed Azharuddeen c Taide b Umesh 1, Vinoop Manoharan c Sanjay b Thakur 5, P. Rahul b Thakur 0, Sijomon Joseph b Thakur 17, Basil Thampi b Umesh 2, M.D. Nidheesh c Sanjay b Umesh 3, Sandeep Warrier (not out) 4; Extras (lb-1): 1. Total (in 24.5 overs): 91.
Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-59, 3-59, 4-60,5-65, 6-65, 7-66, 8-73, 9-85.
Vidarbha bowling: Rajneesh Gurbani 6-0-31-0, Umesh Yadav 10.5-2-31-5, Yash Thakur 8-2-28-4.
