And with that, we saw the end of the second round of fixtures of the Duleep Trophy. After the second set of games, the battle for the title is wide open, with three teams still in contention. The India A vs. India D clash saw some utter dominance by the Mayank Agarwal-led side. The team had a major shakeup after five India-bound players left the team. However, Shams Mulani’s vigilance and Tilak Varma, and Pratham Singh’s centuries in the second innings helped the team register a 186-run win. The India B vs. India C game, however, had no live telecast and eventually ended in a dull draw.
Well-rounded effort by India A!
IND A secured a comprehensive victory over the Shreyas Iyer-led India D in their Duleep Trophy encounter. The match was characterized by a challenging first two days for batting, with India A losing five wickets early on. However, they recovered well, thanks to a crucial partnership between Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian. Mulani, in particular, was superb, battling 187 balls to make a decisive 89. India D’s response was underwhelming, as none of their batter, except Devdutt Padikkal, could stay for long.
Shreyas Iyer, who came out with sunglasses, was out on a duck. Sanju Samson, who kept wickets for IND D, also had a mediocre match. Padikkal, however, made a fighting 92 to keep his side in the hunt.
In the second innings, India A’s batters capitalized on a flatter pitch, with Pratham Singh and Tilak Varma scoring impressive centuries and Shashwat Rawat contributing a valuable half-century. India D, chasing a daunting target, struggled again, with Atharva Taide being dismissed for a duck.
Despite a brief partnership between Yash Dubey and Ricky Bhui, India D’s innings eventually collapsed due to a combination of poor shot selection and effective spin bowling. Ricky Bhui’s century proved to be in vain as India D’s batting lineup lacked the necessary support.
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IND B vs IND C: Ishan Kishan comeback, Anshul Kamboj heroics!
The second match was played between two teams who came into this encounter with wins on their back – India B and India C. However, the tie, played in Ground ‘B’ of Anantapur, ended in a stalemate, with Anshul Kamboj’s career-best 8 for 69 and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s second half-century of the match being the standout performances.
India B, starting the fourth day at 309 for 7, were eventually bowled out for 332, conceding a 193-run lead to India C. Kamboj picked up the remaining three wickets to fall. Despite the deficit, India C chose to settle for the first-innings lead and ended the day at 128 for 4, leading to an early handshake between the captains. Not to mention, India B skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran played a dogged knock of 157 in 286 balls in the first innings. This innings saved his team from a possible defeat.
Kamboj’s eight-wicket haul was the second-best by a fast bowler in Duleep Trophy history. India C’s batting was led by Gaikwad and Rajat Patidar, who shared a 96-run partnership. However, the team’s innings was disrupted by the early loss of Sai Sudharsan and two wickets from Rahul Chahar.
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