Kerala 131 for 3 (Sarwate 66*, Imran 37, Nalkande 2-22) trail Vidarbha 379 (Malewar 153, Nair 86, Nidheesh 3-61, Apple Tom 3-102) by 248 runs

Vidarbha, finalists from the previous edition, did post a challenging total, though. Nachiket Bhute, who came in at No. 11, scored a crucial 32 off 38 balls. The 44-run stand between Bhute and Harsh Dubey for the tenth wicket extended the first session from its scheduled two-and-a-half-hour duration to three hours and took Vidarbha to 379.

The day started with Vidarbha on 254 for 4 and runs flew early on. Thakur flicked the first ball of the day to the midwicket boundary and the fifth ball of the next over to the square-leg boundary. Nidheesh found some swing and adjusted his lengths to keep batters in check, but Apple Tom’s lines were inconsistent and he was driven when he bowled full.

Vidarbha slowed down after the introduction of Basil as he offered Nidheesh support and his team control. The latter induced an outside edge off Thakur in the 95th over but it didn’t carry to gully. In the next one, Basil got one to nip back and smash Malewar’s stumps to end his innings on 153.

Bassil removed the other set batter, Yash Thakur. He angled in a full ball from wide of the crease to beat Thakur on the flick and pin him lbw.

Apple Tom’s return in the next over was rewarded with the wicket of Yash Rathod, who is Vidarbha’s highest run-getter in this so far. A length ball from around the wicket straightened off the pitch, took the edge and was caught at first slip as Vidarbha slumped to 297 for 7.

The Yashes were gone, but the two Akshays – Wadkar and Karnewar – kept the innings afloat with a 36-run stand for the eighth wicket. Wadkar punched Basil through cover off the back foot, and Karnewar picked up a streaky boundary each off Apple Tom and Basil.