NAGPUR: For many years, Aditya Sarwate played saviour to Vidarbha whenever the team was pushed to the corner. Having shifted base after last season, this time the allrounder was in an unfamiliar position. He was still playing saviour, but it was instead against his old team, and for Kerala at Jamtha Stadium here on Thursday.
At 14/2 in 2.3 overs, Kerala were staring down the barrel in reply to Vidarbha's 379 all out on Day Two of the Ranji Trophy final. Vidarbha pacer Darshan Nalakande had cleaned up both Kerala openers, Rohan Kunnummal and Akshay Chandran, in successive overs.
But Sarwate, batting at No. 3 for the first time in his first-class career, looked right at home. He took the attack to the Vidarbha pacers by hitting nine boundaries on the offside. He was batting on 66 (120b;10x4) as Kerala took stumps at 131/3 in 39 overs.
Sarwate added 93 runs for the third wicket with Ahammed Imran (37; 83b, 3x4), who eventually fell to the short-ball trap. Imran pulled a bouncer from Yash Thakur straight to Aman Mokhade at short midwicket.
The first session saw Danish Malewar, unbeaten on 138 overnight, post his maiden 150 in his 10th first-class match by hitting a four and six in the same over by Eden Apple Tom. Malewar departed to a NP Basil delivery that kissed the off stump after going through bat and pad.
A couple of overs later, another Basil delivery trapped Yash Thakur (25; 60b; 2x4) LBW as Vidarbha slid to 295/6 in 100 overs. In the next over, Eden induced an edge off Yash Rathod which was pocketed by Roshan Kunnummal at first slip.
Brief scores: Kerala 131/3 (Sarwate 66*, Imran 37, Nalkande 2-22) trail Vidarbha 379 (Malewar 153, Nair 86, Nidheesh 3-61) by 248 runs
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