Harsh Dubey’s nine-for-53 routs Madhya Pradesh for 209 in Nagpur

Harsh Dubey took nine wickets for 53 as Vidarbha bowled Madhya Pradesh out for 209 on the opening day of their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match at VCA Jamtha Stadium in Nagpur on November 2, 2026. The off-spinner’s 9-53 were the best bowling figures by a Vidarbha player in Ranji Trophy history.

Spin dominated the day after Madhya Pradesh elected to bat, with Nachiket Bhute removing opener Yash Dubey lbw for 5 early on. Saksham Purohit and Chanchal Rathore then blocked out the remainder of the first hour before Dubey’s second spell produced a breakthrough, trapping Chanchal lbw and soon after seeing Saksham caught at slip. A reprieve for Rajat Patidar arrived when Akshay Wadkar dropped a tough chance, but Patidar was dismissed shortly afterwards.

Atharva Mahajan and Saransh Jain staged the main resistance, attacking both Bhute and Dubey to the boundary twice before lunch and keeping up the momentum after the interval. Atharva made 85 off 123 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes as he and Saransh advanced the total toward respectability.

Dubey then tightened the grip on the innings: he trapped Saransh Jain lbw just before Atharva reached his maiden First Class fifty from 80 balls, induced a return catch from Arshad Khan, deceived Kumar Kartikeya Singh into holing out, removed Atharva with an edge to first slip and completed his haul by bowling Ravi Kiran to end the innings at 209.

Madhya Pradesh – 1st innings: Yash Dubey c Wadkar b Bhute 5, Saksham Purohit c Samarth b Dubey 21, Chanchal Rathore lbw Dubey 13, Shubham Sharma c Malewar b Dubey 16, Rajat Patidar c Mokhade b Dubey 2, Atharva Mahajan c Samarth b Dubey 85, Saransh Jain lbw Dubey 34, Arshad Khan c & b Dubey 12, Kumar Kartikeya Singh c Bhute b Dubey 7, Avesh Khan (not out) 13, Ravi Kiran b Dubey 1; Total (in 66.1 overs): 209. Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-32, 3-43, 4-47, 5-64, 6-136, 7-166, 8-180, 9-201.

Madhya Pradesh struck early in reply: Kumar Kartikeya Singh removed both openers, Aman Mokhade and Satyam Bhoyar, and Avesh accounted for R. Samarth. Dhruv Shorey and captain Akshay Wadkar were at the crease at stumps after preventing further damage late in the day.

Vidarbha – 1st innings: Satyam Bhoyar c Patidar b Kartikeya 8, Aman Mokhade c Chanchal b Kartikeya 0, R. Samarth c Yash b Avesh 17, Dhruv Shorey (batting) 21, Danish Malewar lbw Kartikeya 0, Akshay Wadkar (batting) 9; Extras (wd-1): 1; Total (for four wkts. in 23 overs): 56. Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-8, 3-34, 4-35.

Vidarbha bowling: Dubey 23.1-4-53-9, Bhute 12-1-46-1, Gurbani 11-2-30-0, Nalkande 6-0-25-0, Mokhade 5-0-13-0, Rekhade 9-0-42-0. Madhya Pradesh bowling: Kartikeya 10-2-23-3, Avesh 6-1-11-1, Saransh 5-0-15-0, Ravi Kiran 2-0-7-0.

At stumps on the opening day Vidarbha were 56 for 4 in reply to Madhya Pradesh’s 209, with Dhruv Shorey and Akshay Wadkar at the crease.