Vidarbha threw out Sarwate, now he returns home with Kerala aiming Ranji Trophy glory
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Aditya Sarwate would want to believe that Kerala facing Vidarbha in their first final in the Ranji Trophy was his destiny. The 35-year-old left-arm spinner from Nagpur wouldn't have expected something like this to happen when he left a strong Vidarbha side last year to join a relatively weaker Kerala.
His Kerala teammates, especially skipper Sachin Baby, have reminded Sarwate that the final scheduled to begin at his hometown of Nagpur on Wednesday (February 26) is a sign that this was his moment. It is no coincidence that he has 'Carpe Diem' (seize the day) tattooed on his right arm.
Vidarbha let Sarwate go after the Ranji Trophy final last March, which Mumbai won. Sarwate reportedly missed a large part of that match with a back spasm. There were allegations that he had let the team down when it mattered the most.
Sarwate had played a huge role in Vidarbha winning back-to-back Ranji Trophy titles between 2017-18 and 2018-19. In fact, just five years ago, Sarwate's Vidarbha teammates lifted him over their shoulders after he took 11 wickets in the final against Saurashtra. He famously dismissed Test player Cheteshwar Pujara in both innings and was deservedly named player of the match. Sarwate finished that season with 55 wickets.
But before the ongoing Ranji campaign, Vidarbha considered Sarwate surplus to requirements. Meantime, Kerala wanted some experience in the spin department following the exit of guest bowler Shreyas Gopal. The Kerala Cricket Association wanted someone with the legacy to match the incomparable Jalaj Saxena, and Sarwate fitted the bill. It is fair to say that Vidarbha never missed Sarwate's services because left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey has ably filled his void. The 22-year-old Dubey has been in splendid form in his first full Ranji season, with 66 wickets till the final. He has 22 wickets more than second-placed Auqib Nabi of Jammu & Kashmir and Shams Mulani of Mumbai.
Sarwate has 30 wickets from 12 innings and is Kerala's second-best wicket-taker after Saxena (38). By his high standards, Sarwate has only had a decent debut season with Kerala but has produced match-winning moments. First, he scored a valiant 80 in the second innings against Madhya Pradesh, which essentially kept Kerala's playoff chances alive. He then produced the invaluable 4/111 in the semifinal against Gujarat.
Sarwate's offensive bowling on the final day is why Kerala advanced to the final. He pulled Kerala from the verge of conceding the first innings lead by removing the last four Gujarat wickets, including Jaymeet Patel (79), who had survived every trick Kerala pulled on the penultimate day.
Now, Kerala look up to Sarwate again. Of course, it would need an incredible team effort from the underdogs to upset Vidarbha at their home. But they have Sarwate, the man with 'carpe diem' on his leading arm.