Ganesh Satish's 99-run knock helped Vidarbha reach a total of 240 all out in their first innings before the bowlers did a fabulous job to reduce Odisha to 137 for nine at the end of day three of their Ranji Trophy Group B cricket match here today.
Odisha still train by 103 runs with just one wicket in hand and in all likelihood would concede the first innings lead.
Starting the day on 129 for four, Vidarbha lost Ravi Jangid (5) early, but the other overnight batsman Satish, having resumed at a personal score of 62, played a responsible innings even though he fell short of his hundred by just one run.
Satish's knock came off 243 balls and included 14 fours. He also put on 48 runs together with Amol Ubarhande (33) for the sixth wicket.
Ubarhande then joined hands with Shrikant Wagh (29) to add 56 runs for the seventh wicket.
Odisha's Basant Mohanty (3/44) and Biplab Samantray (3/50) shared six wickets between them.
In reply to Vidarbha's modest first essay total, Odisha found themselves struggling at 17 for three early on before Govinda Podder (26) and Samantray (33) steadied the boat for a brief period.
But Samantray's dismissal triggered the collapse and the hosts were reeling at 82 for seven at one stage.
Lower-order batsman Deepak Behera came up with a crucial 53-ball 33 to help the team cross 100-run mark.
At stumps, Basant Mohanty was unbeaten on eight.
For Vidarbha, pacers Swapnil Bandiwar (3/29) and Wagh (3/52) took three wickets each, while Ravikumar Thakur chipped in with two for 15.
Brief scores:
Vidarbha 1st inngs: 240 all out in 98.3 overs (Ganesh Satish 99, Amol Ubarhande 33; Basant Mohanty 3/44, Biplab Samantray 3/50).
Odisha 1st inngs: 137 for nine in 50 overs (Biplab Samantray 33, Deepak Behera 33; Swapnil Bandiwar 3/29, Shrikant Wagh 3/52).
