Saransh Jain and Kumar Kartikeya gave Central a big advantage

Saransh Jain and Kumar Kartikeya gave Central a big advantage

Duleep Trophy Final: Spinners Saransh Jain and Kumar Kartikeya took advantage of the South Zone batters’ lack of clear decision-making and took nine wickets together, giving Central Zone the upper hand on the first day.

Saransh Jain and Kumar Kartikeya were the stars on Day 1 of the Duleep Trophy final, helping Central Zone bowl out South Zone for just 149 runs. Jain picked up his second consecutive five-wicket haul, finishing with 5 for 49, while Kartikeya grabbed 4 for 53. The match was played under cloudy skies on a pitch with a bit of grass, which helped the spinners get extra bounce and movement.

In reply, Central Zone openers Danish Malewar and Akshay Wadkar batted calmly and reached 50 without losing a wicket before bad light stopped play early. At stumps, Central Zone trailed by only 99 runs.

South Zone Struggles Against Spin

South Zone’s new opening pair, Mohit Kale and Tanmay Agarwal, managed to survive the early pace attack and added 24 runs in 15 overs. But once spin was introduced, things quickly fell apart. Kale tried a big shot and was bowled by Kartikeya. Soon after, R Smaran mistimed a sweep and was caught at square leg.

Tanmay Agarwal was run out after a mix-up with Ricky Bhui while trying for a second run. Captain Mohammed Azharuddeen didn’t last long either, getting bowled by Kartikeya for just 4. South Zone went to lunch at 64 for 4.

After lunch, Jain joined the action by trapping Bhui lbw. Salman Nizar tried to counterattack with a six and a four off Kartikeya, and C Andre Siddarth also hit a boundary. But Siddarth’s aggression backfired when he charged down the pitch to Jain, missed the ball, and was stumped. Nizar was dismissed next, edging a ball that bounced sharply, and Patidar took a low catch at slip.

Kartikeya then trapped Gurjapneet Singh lbw for his fourth wicket. Vasuki Koushik and Ankit Sharma tried to hold on, but Jain bowled a straight delivery that got through Ankit’s defence to complete his five-wicket haul.

Central Zone Off to a Steady Start

South Zone began their bowling with Ankit Sharma’s spin and Gurjapneet Singh’s left-arm pace. Wadkar and Malewar responded well, hitting Gurjapneet for three boundaries in one over. They reached 50 in 17 overs without losing a wicket.

There was an LBW appeal against Wadkar by Ankit, but replays showed the ball was missing the leg stump. Koushik got some late movement with the ball, but the Central Zone openers stayed solid and didn’t give away their wickets.