Shooting Cooper Connolly: Australia’s 22-year-old star
The pursuit never really rested on Saurashtra. They lost the first two wickets to reach 30 for two and were further in trouble at 112 for four in the 23rd over. Still, they refused to fold quietly. Prerak Mankad and Chirag Jani put on a gutsy partnership of 93 runs for the fifth wicket which briefly revived hopes. Mankad anchored the stand with a determined 88 off 92 balls while Jani contributed a smooth 64 off 63 deliveries. Their approach relied more on positioning and patience than aggression and Vidarbha’s sloppy play during the middle overs helped prolong the match. Missed chances proved costly, with Mankad falling for 70 at mid-wicket off Harsh Dubey and Jani falling for 14 after Parth Rekhade’s long off. The resistance finally ended when Mankad was trapped in front trying to cut the left arm of spinner Dubey, who finished with figures of 1 for 59. Jani followed soon after, dismissed by pacer Darshan Nalkand when his ill-timed strike found Aman Mokhade near sweeper cover. From there, Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute took charge, sharing seven wickets between them to close the innings. Thakur returned with 4 for 50 while Bhute claimed 3 for 46, prompting jubilant celebrations in the Vidarbha camp. Earlier, Taide produced exemplary one-day innings to keep his side firmly in control. Not known for his flamboyance, the left-hander relied on target strength and smart shot selection to quietly pile up the runs as he worked the field with precision. As the shadows lengthened at the BCCI Center of Excellence, he picked the gaps with ease, mixing elegant cover drives with powerful hits over mid-wicket. Even as Saurashtra tightened their lines led by Chetan Sakariya, Taide never looked rushed. His ability to rotate the strike ensured that the momentum never dropped. He reached his fifty off 66 balls, hitting seven fours before striking out. The next fifty came in just 31 deliveries and included five boundaries and two sixes, underscoring his control over the innings. This marked his third List A century. Taide added 133 runs for the second wicket with Yash Rathod playing a lively supporting role with 54 off 61 balls as Vidarbha maintained a scoring rate of over six overs. Earlier, Taide also featured in an 80-run opening stand with Aman Mokhade, who put up 33 in a rather modest contribution. By the time Taide departed with a score of 213 for two, Vidarbha were already in a good position. The middle and lower order chipped in with useful runs to push the total past 300, a score that proved more than enough in the end. At the end of the night, Vidarbha celebrated their first Vijay Hazare Trophy title, powered by a performance that combined poise, resilience and timely execution.