Bengaluru: South Zone skipper Tilak Varma (116 not out, 250b, 4×9) left his imprint as a quality red-ball batsman and later found a perfect match with his bowlers’ discipline on the third day as they seized decisive control of the Duleep Trophy semifinals at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.
At stumps, North were 256/7 in 66 overs, leading by 139 runs, and their bid for an outright win now seems destined to go south.
South’s talented attack found a way to apply the brakes against a desperate North side, who were in need of some quick runs as they were playing catch-up. However, the pressure did not evaporate, as South put in the squeeze.
Opener Qamran Iqbal (4, 27b), North’s top-scorer in the first innings, cut a sorry figure after falling to Kavuri Saiteja (2/34). North’s approach, though, was questionable with time running out. They went into the break with plenty to ponder, managing just 52/1 in 18 overs.
Post lunch, Delhi’s batting twins Sanat Sangwan (76, 148b, 4×8) and Ayush Doseja (52, 76b, 4×5) lifted the spirits, registering their sixth first-class fifties but were left on an unlikely two-man mission. M D Nidheesh (2/47) and Vidwath Kaverappa (1/25) picked Sangwan and Doseja respectively as South’s defensive lines left the batters frustrated into playing some lethargic shots.
Vidwath then walked off with some discomfort after suffering an injury to his left leg in his follow-through and did not feature further in the day’s play.
Abdul Samad (14, 11b), looking to counter-attack his way through pressure, smashed Shreyas Gopal (2/77) over mid-wicket for a six, but the spinner had his number in the very next ball. Kanhaiya Wadhawan (14, 14b) and Abid Mushtaq (1) soon followed Samad. Nishant Sindhu (20 n.o., 54b) and Anshul Kamboj (29 n.o., 23b) used contrasting methods and guided North into the final day.
Earlier, South frustrated North, keeping them on the field for 36 minutes while adding 27 runs. Resuming from their overnight score of 285/9, the 10th wicket duo of Tilak and Kavuri Saiteja (13, 21b) continued to inflict damage, accumulating a 117-run lead. Abid Mushtaq (1/41) picked the final wicket to bowl them out for 312 in 100.3 overs.
East through
There was another display of the exciting talent of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (40, 43b, 4×3, 2×6) as East Zone marched into the final with a four-wicket victory against Central Zone at CoE 1.
Mukesh Kumar (4/44) and Mohammed Shami (3/56) snared seven wickets to wrap up Central’s innings for 158 in 50.2 overs as East needed 159 to win. Sooryavanshi opened the innings with Abhimanyu Easwaran (24), but put his aggression on ice. The teen prodigy scored 22 in his first 37 balls, before taking down Yash Thakur (1/37) for 18 runs in four balls.
Yash then had the last laugh thanks to Rajat Patidar running almost 30 yards towards mid-wicket to claim a superb catch. East eventually won in the 40th over, with Ishan Kishan (39 n.o.) and Shami (8 n.o.) finishing the final rites.
Brief scores: North Zone: 195 all out & 256/7 in 66 overs (Sanat Sangwan 76, Ayush Doseja 52, Ayush Badoni 31, MD Nidheesh 2-47, Kavuri Saiteja 2-34, Shreyas Gopal 2-77) vs South Zone: (O/n 285/9): 312 all out in 100.3 overs (Narayan Jagadeesan 36, Tilak Varma 116 n.o., Smaran R 27, Shreyas Gopal 87; Arshdeep Singh 2-59, Anshul Kamboj 2-58, Gurnoon Brar 4-88).
Central Zone: 266 all out & (O/n: 45/3): 158 all out in 50.2 overs (Aman Mokhade 41, Arshad Khan 25; Mukesh Kumar 4-44, Mohammed Shami 3-56) lt to East Zone: 266 all out & 162/6 in 39.3 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 40, Ishan Kishan 39 n.o.; Harsh Dubey 4-53).
PoM: Mukesh Kumar.