North Zone End Day 1 Strong at 308/6 in Duleep Trophy Quarter-Final

North Zone End Day 1 Strong at 308/6 in Duleep Trophy Quarter-Final

Duleep Trophy 2025: Ayush Badoni scored a half-century for North Zone against East Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarterfinal, while Mohammed Shami played his second first-class match in more than two years.

The Duleep Trophy 2025–26 has entered the knockout stage, and the quarter-final clash between North Zone and East Zone. The match began with the East Zone captain winning the toss and choosing to bowl first. The pitch had some early assistance for the bowlers, and East Zone looked to make use of it by putting North Zone under pressure straightaway.

North Zone, however, showed good fight and ended the first day in a strong position. They reached 308 runs for the loss of six wickets in 75.2 overs, setting themselves up for a healthy first-innings total. The day had its ups and downs, with partnerships building at crucial moments, bowlers striking back in patches, and some entertaining stroke play in between.

The highlight of North Zone’s innings was the knock played by Ayush Badoni, who batted with confidence and aggression. Coming in at a time when his team needed someone to take charge, Badoni scored a quick 63 runs off just 60 balls. His innings was filled with attractive shots all around the ground, and he ensured that the scoring rate never dropped too much. Badoni’s attacking intent forced East Zone bowlers to change their plans, and it gave North Zone valuable momentum during the middle overs.

Alongside Badoni, Nishant Sindhu also impressed with the bat. He played a steady and responsible innings of 47 runs from 70 balls, helping to stabilize the innings whenever wickets fell. His knock was not as flashy as Badoni’s, but it was equally important in keeping North Zone’s scoreboard moving in the right direction. Later in the day, K. Wadhawan added solidity with an unbeaten 42 from 92 balls, showing great patience and determination. He was well supported by M. J. Dagar, who played an entertaining cameo of 28 off 22 balls, attacking the bowlers in the final hour of play to lift the team past the 300-run mark.

While North Zone’s batsmen had their moments, East Zone bowlers did not let them run away with the game. The star of the bowling attack was left-arm spinner Manishi, who picked up three crucial wickets. All of his dismissals came via LBW, showing his accuracy and clever use of angles. He broke partnerships at the right time and ensured that North Zone could not build a completely commanding position. Another big positive for East Zone was the return of Mohammed Shami to First-Class cricket. The experienced pacer bowled with his usual discipline, sending down 17 overs and finishing with figures of 1 for 55. His presence added strength and confidence to the East Zone bowling attack, and he looked in good rhythm despite the long break from red-ball cricket.

At the end of the day, both teams had reasons to be satisfied. North Zone would be happy with their total of over 300 runs on the board, thanks to contributions from several batsmen. On the other hand, East Zone will take confidence from the way they kept picking wickets regularly and prevented North Zone from getting into a position of complete dominance. With four more wickets left in the innings, East Zone will aim to wrap things up quickly on Day 2 and then put up a strong batting performance of their own.

The match is well balanced at this stage, and the next two days will be crucial in deciding which team advances to the semi-finals of the prestigious Duleep Trophy. If North Zone can stretch their total past 400, they will put East Zone under immense pressure. But if East Zone’s bowlers strike early on Day 2, they can swing the momentum back in their favour. Either way, fans can expect more exciting cricket as this knockout battle unfolds.