Duleep Trophy 2023 HIGHLIGHTS Final Day 1: South Zone 182/7 at stumps

The light meter is out and the umpires call it stumps. South Zone 182/7 in 65 overs with Washington Sundar still at the crease along with V Vyshak.

It was a good day for West Zone as it removed the cream of batters in the first two sessions. Nagwaswalla, Shams Mulani, and Chintan Gaja picked two wickets each while Atit Sheth got one. For South, Hanuma Vihari and Tilak Varma stuck to the crease, adding 79 runs for the third wicket. Vihari scored 63 while Tilak made 40.

Nagwaswalla continues to bowl testing lengths. Number nine batter V Vyshak, however, counters it with a boundary as he steps down the track and lofts it towards the mid-wicket region.

Sai Kishore with a well-timed cover drive off Arzan Nagwaswalla. Not much movement there for the fast bowlers after the rain break. The left-armer tests Sai Kishore with the short ball and the tactic works as he hits one on the bat sticker when he tried to defend it and the ball goes straight to the fielder.

The players are back in the middle. Washington Sundar and R Sai Kishore are the two batters for South. Atit Sheth with the ball.

The rain has stopped. The play will resume shortly. The covers are off as of now.

The players were out in the middle but the umpires checked for badlight and now the play has been suspended. The players are going back. Covers are back on.

Rain stops, play to resume soon

Looks like the rain delay will continue for a while.

Here comes the rain! Just when the session began, the rain has arrived at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The players are back in the middle for the final session of first day. West bowlers have been solid in the first two sessions and haven’t allowed South batters to score freely. Hanuma Vihari scored a fifty but got out just before Tea.

Two new batters - Washington Sundar and R Sai Kishore - at the crease as South loses Hanuma Vihari just before Tea.

Can West wrap up the South innings in the next session?

And Shams Mulani strikes again. Hanuma Vihari departs as he chops one onto the stumps. Not much room there but Vihari wanted to cut the ball, misjudgement and he pays for it.

Shams Mulani strikes in his third over as he gets Sachin Baby OUT caught at short mid-wicket. Baby came down the track, looking to find the gap in the leg-side but Suryakumar Yadav was alert and perfectly timed his dive in front.

Washington Sundar is the new batter at the crease.

After an expensive first over, Shams Mulani has found his line and length. A very tight second over.

Finally, Shams Mulani into the attack.

He gifts a half volley for Vihari to cut. The South skipper obliges and brings up his 50! Another FOUR as Vihari steps down the wickets pierces the mid wicket and mid on fielders.

Chintan Gaja gets his second wicket. Ricky Bhui departs. He wants to nudge a delivery to fine leg but Harvik Desai with a blinder of a catch gets West Zone its fourth wicket. Gaja will be thanking the keeper. He had bowled a loose delivery going down leg but ends up getting a wicket.

Sachin Baby off the mark with a cover drive for FOUR. Gaja overpitches looking for swing but gets none.

Ricky Bhui starting to find the middle of the bat. Two well-timed punches through off side in Atit Sheth’s over.

Hanuma Vihari is struck on the pad by Chintan Gaja. Suryakumar Yadav tries his best to convince Panchal for a review. They decide against it and rightly so as the ball tracker shows the delivery going down leg.

After five straight dot balls, Bhui late cuts a wide delivery from Jadeja and completes three runs.

A maiden over Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.

Atit Sheth also sticks to the probing line outside off stump. Ricky Bhui with a couple of tentative shots in the over. Two runs from the over.

The Tilak Varma wicket has once again paused the run scoring for South Zone. Ricky Bhui on one off seven while Vihari on 44 off 89.

Just a single run from Jadeja’s over - a leg bye for Vihari.

Ricky Bhui is the new man in the middle.

TILAK VARMA IS OUT! Caught behind as Harvik Desai completes a low, diving catch. Messes up a cut shot which brings about his end. He falls on 40.

There were already a couple of chances in Nagwaswalla’s over. First, he was tempted by a delivery moving away from him. The drive only gets an edge and just misses the gully fielder.

On the third delivery, the ball moves back in and Tilak cannot get bat onto it. Umpire Anil Chaudhary denies the leg before appeal before West decides to review it. The DRS showed the ball going down leg.

Jadeja just dragging his length back. This results in Vihari finding the time and room to cut the ball past point for FOUR runs. He attempts a similar shot on the final delivery of his over but mistimes the shot.

Hanuma Vihari dropped! Jadeja fires one quicker than usual. Vihari is hurried into a shot.. He gets an edge which thuds into the pad and goes up in the air. It wasn’t an easy chance for Sarfaraz Khan at short leg but a chance nonetheless. He got a hand but could not grab onto it.

Tilak Varma starts the second session with a couple of boundaries. The first one is a back foot punch on a back of a length delivery from Jadeja. In the next over, he leans forwards and drives off Nagwaswalla. He’s on 36 off 75 deliveries.

Dharmendrasinh Jadeja to resume proceedings for West Zone after the break.

It’s been a solid recovery job by Tilak Varma and Hanuma Vihari. They’ve endured long and difficult spells from Chintan Gaja and Atit Sheth. They went long spells of play without getting runs but ensured they stayed at the crease. The reward was 34 runs from the final six overs. Earlier in the session, Arzan Nagwaswalla and Atit Sheth removed the opener Samarth R and Mayank Agarwal. South Zone was 42/2 but the innings is now back on track courtesy of Vihari and Varma.

Sarfaraz Khan with the last over before Lunch. The very first delivery is wayward and going down leg. Vihari swivels and works it to fine leg for one run. FIFTY partnership between Hanuma Vihari and Tilak Varma. Vihari cleverly gets inside the line of the delivery and works it to fine leg for FOUR. A full toss next up and Vihari takes the gift and dispatches the ball to the mid wicket fence. Back to back FOURs. 10 runs from the over.

Tilak Varma with a SIX! He gets a half volley from Atit Sheth going down leg. Varma pulls the delivery over fine leg. Taps the next delivery between gully and point for two runs.

Tilak Varma steps out in Jadeja’s over and hits it over mid on. Fails to middle it and has to settle for a single. Nearly a mix up there as Varma tried for a second run.

Dharmendrasinh Jadeja is brought into the attack. Tilak Varma drives at a wide delivery and gets an edge. The ball flies past the first slip and gets to the boundary.

Hanuma Vihari with another boundary. A cover drive in Atit Sheth’s over.

Hanuma Vihari gets an overpitched delivery from Chintan Gaja on the pads. He shuffles to his left and clips it through mid wicket.

Vihari is now on 16 off 39 while Tilak Varma is on 10 off 48.

Chintan Gaja is bowling a marathon spell. He’s bowled 10 overs without a break and has been remarkably accurate too. In his last over, he nearly induced an edge out of Tilak Varma.

With just half an hour left for Lunch, this South Zone pair would want to ensure they stay at crease till the end of the session.

Tilak Varma finally breaks the barren run with a boundary off Chintan Gaja.

Priyank Panchal deploys the ‘keeper up at the stumps’ approach against Hanuma Vihari too.

South Zone’s spell without runs continues. Chintan Gaja nearly gets Hanuma Vihari leg before. The South Zone batter was caught inside his crease and was saved by the height.

Four maidens in succession.

Two maidens on the trot by West Zone - one each by Gaja and Sheth. The ideal time to get them as Hanuma Vihari looked to break free and up the scoring rate.

Atit Sheth nearly gets Hanuma Vihari. The batter leaves the ball on line, expecting it to go straight and clear of the stumps. The ball, however, moves towards the stumps and misses the off stump by the barest of margins.

This was followed by a text book cover drive on an overpitched delivery. Another FOUR on the final delivery with a flick. 10 runs off the over.

In his adventurous stay at the crease, Mayank Agarwal completed a career milestone.

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Mayank Agarwal falls. Chintan Gaja gets his man. Another delivery wide of off and Mayank cannot help but chase it. A thick outside flies to the gully fielder. Mayank goes on 28 off 47 deliveries.

Captain Hanuma Vihari is the new batter.

Tilak Varma is struck on the thigh and needs the physio’s help. The ball from Gaja pitches on the off stump line and jags back in to the left hander. Varma misses the line and is struck on the back leg.

Gaja straying in line as he concedes two byes. West continues to keep the keeper up to the stumps for Mayank.

A change in bowling for West. Atit Sheth replaces Nagwaswalla.

Mayank yet again riding on his luck. He pushes at a delivery outside off and the ball pops up in the air. It goes just over the cover fielder and runs away for FOUR runs.

Tilak Varma is on one run off 10 deliveries.

Mayank Agarwal gets two FOURs from Nagwaswalla’s over but both come of edges. He’s been guilty of closing the face of the bat too early. Luckily, the edge flew past the point fielder on both occasions.

Priyank Panchal on the attack. Harvik Desai comes up to the stumps in Chintan Gaja’s over. This is to stop Mayank Agarwal from stepping out. Two slips in place too.

Since Gaja and Nagwaswalla have changed ends, they’ve had some lateral movement too.

Tilak Varma is the new batter in for South.

Arzan Nagwaswalla to continue.

Samarth R goes away slashing at a delivery from Chintan Gaja. There is not enough room to play the shot and he gets an edge and Harvik Desai does the rest behind the stumps. The change of ends works for Gaja.

Spin has been brought in by West as Dharmendrasinh Jadeja takes the ball for the fifth over. Straight up troubles Mayabk Agarwal who tries to hop out and work him on the on side. Just a solitary run from the over.

More runs for South Zone. Gaja goes too full and Samarth clips the ball through mid wicket for FOUR runs. Another couple with a trickle down to third man. A confident start for the batters.

Mayank Agarwal with the first boundary of the innings. He gets one off the middle and sends it through covers in Nagwaswalla’s over. Not too much movement on offer for the bowlers.

Just two runs in the first overs for South Zone, one coming off a no ball by Nagwaswalla. R Samarth gets off the mark in the first over and then plays a maiden when facing Chintan Gaja.

R Samarth it is who opens the South Zone innings with Mayank Agarwal.

Arzan Nagwaswalla to take the new ball for West Zone.

With Sai Sudharsan not in the lineup, the opening slot along side Mayank Agarwal opens up. Who will be slotted in?

South Zone brings in Sachin Baby in place of Sai Sudharsan who is off with the India A team for the Emerging Asia Cup. The second change is Koushik V coming in place of KV Sasikanth.

For West, Shams Mulani and Harvik Desai come in place of Yuvarajsinh Dodiya and Het Patel.

South Zone: Hanuma Vihari (c), Koushik V, Mayank Agarwal, R Sai Kishore, Ricky Bhui, Sachin Baby, Samarth R, Tilak Varma, V Vyshak, Vidwath Kaverappa, Washington Sundar

West Zone: Arzan Nagwaswalla, Atit Sheth, Cheteshwar Pujara, Chintan Gaja, Dharmendrsinh Jadeja, Harvik Desai, Priyank Panchal, Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, Shams Mulani, Suryakumar Yadav

West Zone captain Priyank Panchal wins the toss and opts to field.

Arjun Tendulkar has been named in the South Zone squad for the Prof D B Deodhar Trophy. Mayank Agarwal will lead the side.

Rain threat looms over the Duleep Trophy final. The semifinal at the M Chinnaswamy saw multiple stops due to bad light and rain. Over the next five days, the first four days have greater than 60% chances of precipitation. The conditions too will remain overcast with chances of scattered thunderstorms.

West Zone: Priyank Panchal (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harvik Desai (wicketkeeper), Prithvi Shaw, Het Patel (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Arpit Vasavada, Atit Seth, Shams Mulani, Yuvraj Dodiya, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Chetan Sakariya, Chintan Gaja, Arzan Nagwaswalla

South Zone: Hanuma Vihari (Captain), Mayank Agarwal (vice-captain), Suyash Prabhudessai, Ricky Bhui (wicketkeeper), R Samarth, Washington Sundar, Sachin Baby, V Koushik, Sai Kishore, V Kaverappa, V Vyshak, KV Sasikanth, Darshan Misal, Tilak Varma.

All focus will be on the star-studded West batting order. Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored his 60th First Class ton in the semifinal, along with Suryakumar Yadav and Sarfaraz Khan will look to dismantle the South Zone bowling unit powered by Vidwath Kaverappa, V Vyshak and Sai Kishore.

Full Preview by Ashwin Achal:

The final hurdle is here and its the last two standing - South Zone and West Zone - who take a shot at the title. It’s a repeat of the 2022 final where West overturned a first-innings deficit to get the cup. This time around, South will be keen on completing its revenge.

Their paths to this year’s final were quite contrasting. Having played the final, both teams directly played the semifinals. While West Zone advanced with a strong performance against Central, South had to finish its contest versus North deep in the final session of the game.