Rajat Patidar, Manav Suthar return unbeaten, ROI score -142/5:Abhimanyu Easwaran, Akash Deep shine for Rest of India; Taide slams 143* for Vidarbha in Irani Cup

The second day of the Irani Cup at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur saw a dramatic shift in momentum as both Vidarbha and Rest of India (ROI) endured ups and downs with the bat. Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha, who resumed the day at 280/5, were bowled out for 342 in their first innings. Star of the show was opener Atharva Taide, who stood tall with a brilliant knock of 143 runs. In response, the Rest of India faced an early collapse but managed to end the day at 142/5. Skipper Rajat Patidar provided stability with a gritty unbeaten 42, as he looked to rebuild the innings alongside Manav Suthar, who remained not out on 1 at stumps. With the match delicately poised, the coming days promise a tight contest. With ROI still trailing and five wickets down, Day 3 will be crucial in deciding which side gains control of this hard-fought contest. Taide anchors Vidarbha’s innings Vidarbha’s innings revolved around Atharva Taide, who carried his form from the first day and brought up a superb 143. His patient knock ensured Vidarbha crossed the 300-run mark despite losing wickets at regular intervals. Nightwatchman Yash Thakur managed 11 runs before falling early, while Darshan Nalkande (20), Aditya Thakare (2), and Parth Rekhade (1) couldn’t provide much support. The innings wrapped up at 342, with Harsh Dubey departing without scoring. For the Rest of India, Akash Deep and Manav Suthar were the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets each. Saransh Jain added two scalps, while Anshul Kamboj and Gurnoor Brar took one apiece. Also read: Mohammed Siraj’s Ronaldo celebration against Windies in Ahmedabad: Dhruv Jurel’s leg-side diving catch, Bumrah’s fiery yorkers Rest of India face batting troubles Chasing Vidarbha’s 342, Rest of India began steadily with openers Abhimanyu Easwaran and Aryan Juyal building a fifty-run partnership. Juyal fell for 23, followed by Yash Dhull for 11. Easwaran looked solid, scoring a half-century, but his dismissal for 52 triggered a collapse. Ruturaj Gaikwad (9) and Ishan Kishan (1) fell cheaply, leaving ROI reeling at 124/5. However, skipper Rajat Patidar showed resilience and stayed unbeaten on 42 by the close of play. Also read: Ahmedabad Test – India 121/2 at Stumps on Day 1: West Indies lead by 41 runs, KL Rahul scored fifty after Siraj and Bumrah’s heroics Vidarbha bowlers strike back Vidarbha’s bowlers kept their side in the game with regular breakthroughs. Parth Rekhade was the most successful, taking two wickets, while Yash Thakur, Darshan Nalkande, and Harsh Dubey picked one wicket each. Their combined effort ensured that Rest of India couldn’t dominate despite Easwaran’s fifty.