There’s a reason why the middle day of a five-day match is called the moving day. The Duleep Trophy final progressed at a breakneck pace on Friday’s third day, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with 10 wickets tumbling and South Zone continuing to keep their noses in front.
West lose quick wickets
Vidwath Kaverappa’s career-best seven for 53 allowed South to open up a substantial 67-run lead in the first innings over defending champions West Zone, who lost three for 17 in 34 minutes to be bowled out for 146. To their credit, though, West fought staunchly as is their wont, not allowing their opponents to run away with the game.
Even so, South ended another weather-hit day on 181 for seven, their overall lead of 248 meaning West must post the highest score of the match in the fourth innings if they are to extend their hold on the trophy.
Arzan Nagwaswalla, Atit Sheth and left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja snared two wickets apiece to keep South honest on a surface where, for some reason, batsmen have seldom felt ‘in’. Three batsmen topped 30 and a fourth made 28, but skipper Hanuma Vihari’s 42 remains the highest individual score thus far.
South will look to Washington Sundar to bolster their lead; batting way too low at No. 7, the left-hander ran out of partners in the first innings, remaining 22 not out, and will hope for greater support from his three fast bowlers on Saturday.
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When South began their second innings, Chintan Gaja struck in the fourth over, cleaning up R Samarth who played down the wrong line for his second failure of the match.
Left-armer Nagwaswalla then produced a peach of a break-back that snuck through Tilak Varma’s defence to hit top of off. At eight for two, South were in strife.
Vihari, Agarwal get runs
Vihari and his deputy Mayank Agarwal steadied the ship, using their experience to keep the bowlers at bay. Runs didn’t exactly flow despite Vihari striking two exquisite square-drives early in his innings, but they stuck together long enough to realise 64 when Agarwal perished on the pull to Nagwaswalla.
The batsman contended that it was the third bouncer of the over and should have been called a no-ball, but third umpire Saidharshan Kumar watched numerous replays before deeming it a fair delivery.
Vihari fell a little while later, but Ricky Bhui and Sachin Baby showed enterprise in putting on 59 until falling off successive deliveries. Suryakumar Yadav produced a fine catch running back from mid-wicket to pouch Sai Kishore—he and onrushing deep fielder Arpit Vasavada collided and the latter, a substitute, exited the field clutching his right wrist—and leave Washington as the final pocket of resistance.
Brief scores
South 213 & 181-7 (H Vihari 42, R Bhui 37, M Agarwal 35; D Jadeja 2-27, A Sheth 2-38) v West 146 (P Shaw 65; V Kaverappa 7-53, V Vyshak 2-33)
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