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Vidarbha edged ahead in a battle of attrition on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy final against Kerala by eking out a 37-run first-innings lead in Nagpur on Friday.
Young left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey made his history with 69 Ranji wickets this season, the most by a bowler in a Ranji Trophy season.
Kerala skipper Sachin Baby struck a valiant 98 and Aditya Sarwate fought hard for his 185-ball 79 but Vidarbha held their nerve to gain a vital lead after dismissing the visitors for 342. Vidarbha had made 379 batting first.
Sarwate fell in the first session while batting mainstays, Salman Nizar (21) and Mohammed Azharuddeen (34), could not convert their good starts into big scores as Dubey, Darshan Nalkande (3/52) and Parth Rekhade (3/65) returned three-wicket hauls each.
Sarwate was the first to depart, becoming Dubey's 67th victim. The 22-year-old then dismissed Nizar to get to a record-equalling 68th dismissal.
The spinner, however, had to toil all day for his third victim, which finally came when he trapped MD Nidheesh (1) leg-before to set the record for most wickets in a Ranji season.
Sarwate jarred his bat to the ground in a front-foot prod but Dubey's delivery jumped off a rough patch and substitute fielder Aman Mokhade took an easy catch.
Sarwate's resistance lasted 185 balls and he put on 63 runs for the fourth wicket with his skipper.
Baby also forged vital partnerships of 49 runs (fifth wicket) with Salman Nizar (21) and 59 runs (sixth wicket) with Azharuddeen (34), but the efforts were not enough.
Nizar struck three boundaries in his 42-ball stay before he was adjudged LBW to Dubey, a decision Kerala might have felt was a bit harsh.
Nizar shouldered his arms to a delivery which Dubey pitched outside off, but the ball spun in sharply to hit the batter outside the off-stump.
On-field umpire Anil Chaudhary declared the batter LBW for not offering a shot, and despite DRS intervention, Nizar had to walk back as replays showed the ball would've hit the wickets.
Azharuddeen was also adjudged leg-before off Nalkande when he attempted to flick a fuller ball but was hit on the front pad. The batter immediately asked for a review but replays showed the ball would've clipped the leg stump.
Kerala captain Baby continued to fight but had only himself to blame for missing out on a century.
Having batted patiently throughout the day, he charged against Rekhade, only to hit the ball high up in the air with Karun Nair taking the offering at deep midwicket.
Still 50 runs adrift of Vidarbha's first-innings total, stalwart Jalaj Saxena (28) and Eden Apple Tom (10) tried to forge a partnership but they could manage only 13 runs off 70 balls for the eighth wicket.
Kerala were also guilty of not pushing hard for runs as they added just 211 to their overnight total of 131/3 before their innings ended.