Vidarbha seal spot in Ranji Trophy semi-final riding on Yash Rathod's century and Nachiket Bhute's bowling performance

Vidarbha defeated Tamil Nadu by 198 runs on day four here on Tuesday, securing a spectacular entry into the Ranji Trophy semifinal with seamer Nachiket Bhute's three-wicket haul and Yash Rathod's well-crafted century. As the runners-up from the previous season continued their winning streak in the event, middle-order batsman Rathod hammered a cautious 213-ball 112 before Bhute returned impressive figures of 3/19 in his 10 overs.

Despite having a long list of talented batsmen, Tamil Nadu was reduced to 45 for five on the penultimate day, with Bhute taking out dangerous opener Narayan Jagadeesan (18), Vijay Shankar (5), and Boopathi Kumar (0). They were set a goal of 401. TN's batting collapsed for 202 in 61.1 overs, despite 53 (95 balls) from Pradosh Ranjan Paul and a gritty 57 (84 balls) from tail-ender Sonu Yadav. Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey (3/40) did the damage at the tail end by taking the final three wickets at the end.

ALSO READ: 'I think what Kohli needs to do is...': World Cup-winning captain gives big advice to struggling Virat ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

ALSO READ: Sri Lanka announce 16-member squad for two ODIs vs Australia, drop 22-year-old all-rounder who made his debut vs New Zealand

Vidarbha, who had a 297-run advantage going into day four, did well to demoralize Tamil Nadu by increasing their overnight total by 103 runs while losing the final five wickets. Despite consuming 213 deliveries, Rathod, who was undefeated at 55 overnight, was the best batsman for Vidarbha as he steadily gained confidence and scored his sixth first-class century in 16 first-class games.

As the runners-up from the previous season had a commanding 400-run lead, his 120-run partnership with Harsh Dubey (64) enabled Vidarbha to solidify their position from overnight 169/5 to 272 all out in 92.3 overs.

The second innings for Tamil Nadu began much identically to the first, with right-arm bowler Aditya Thakare taking the first wicket when he dismissed Mohammed Ali for 10. After that, Bhute took control and reduced the opposition to 45/5 in just the 17th over. Pradosh Ranjan then put up a half-century that looked like a fight. However, Sonu Yadav's half-century merely postponed the inevitable, as his removal essentially cleared the path for Vidarbha's victory.

Brief scores: Vidarbha: 353 & 272 in 92.3 overs (Yash Rathod 112, Harsh Dubey 64; Sai Kishore Sai Kishore 5/78, Ajith Ram 2/33) vs Tamil Nadu: 225 & 202 in 61.1 overs (Pradosh Ranjan Paul 53, Sonu Yadav 57; Nachiket Bhute 3/19, Harsh Dubey 3/40). Vidarbha beat Tamil Nadu by 198 runs.