Batters falter again, Saurashtra thump Vidarbha by 238 runs

Nagpur: With the Vidarbha batting unit faltering repeatedly so far in the season, the target of 372 set by Saurashtra was practically out of reach. Playing for pride was the only option, but Vidarbha batters failed yet again as the former champions were defeated by Saurashtra by 238 runs at the VCA Civil Lines Stadium on Sunday.Barring Atharva Taide (54; 94b; 8x4) no other Vidarbha batsmen managed to put up any resistance as the hosts were bundled out for just 134 in 45.2 overs.Yash Thakur, coming in at No. 10 was the second-best scorer with 22. That tells the story of Vidarbha’s capitulation. Chirag Jani snapped up a five-for to finish off with a match haul of nine wickets.Earlier, starting the day on overnight 49, Cheteshwar Pujara went on to score 66 (137b;10x4) before being trapped in front of the wicket by left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey.During his knock, Pujara became only the fourth Indian to cross the 20,000 run-mark in First Class cricket. The Saurashtra batter joined the elite club of Sunil Gavaskar (25,834 runs), Sachin Tendulkar (25,396 runs) and Rahul Dravid (23,794 runs).BRIEF SCORES Saurashtra 206 all out & (Overnight 205 for 3 in 69 overs): 244 all out in 89.2 overs (Vishvarajsinh Jadeja 79, Cheteshwar Pujara 66, Kevin Jivrajani 57; Umesh Yadav 3-42, Aditya Thakare 3-49, Yash Thakur 2-30, Harsh Dubey 2-71) beat Vidarbha: 78 all out & 134 all out in 45.2 overs (Atharva Taide 54; Chirag Jani 5-51, Prerak Mankad 2-17, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 2-16) by 238 runs.