Published: Mar 11, 2015, 02:28 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 11, 2015, 03:16 PM (IST)
Vinay Kumar, captain of Ranji Trophy defending champions Karnataka, had reduced Tamil Nadu to 21/2 in the Ranji Trophy 2014-15 final at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. He claimed two more quick wickets, and eventually took the last wicket of the Tamil Nadu innings (that of Aswin Crist) to bowl them out for 134 on Day One. He finished with enviable figures of 15.4-6-34-5. Live Blog: Karnataka vs Tamil Nadu
Walking out at 501/7 on Day Three, Vinay Kumar decided to bat on past lunch on Day Four. He equalled his career best of 105* as Karnataka put up a mammoth 762, thus acquiring a 628-run first innings lead. Though his innings was overshadowed by Karun Nair’s 328 and KL Rahul’s 188, Vinay Kumar achieved a record that went unnoticed.
Vinay Kumar became the second cricketer (and first captain) to score a hundred and take five wickets in a Ranji Trophy final. Playing against Holkar at home in the 1946-47 final, Vijay Hazare had run through the Holkar innings, finishing with 6/85 and bowling them out for 202. Baroda were reduced to 91/3, but Hazare (288) and Gul Mohammad (319) added 577, the then record for any stand in First-Class cricket.
Baroda piled up 784 before Holkar sunk for 173. The wrecker-in-chief was Amir Elahi (6/62), but Hazare picked up 2/52 as well. Unlike Vinay Kumar, however, Hazare was not leading the side (BB Nimbalkar was).
Note: Today is Hazare’s Birth Centenary.
