Duleep Trophy | Musheer and Saini pile it on earlier than India-A’s counterpunch with the bat

The Duleep Trophy encounter between India-A and India-B was delicately poised at stumps on day two on the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium right here on Friday.

After India-B folded for 321, half an hour into the post-lunch session, India-A reached 134 for 2 by shut, with Riyan Parag (27 batting, 49b, 4×4) and Ok.L. Rahul (23 batting, 80b, 3×4) on the crease.

Skipper Shubman Gill (25, 43b, 3×4) and Mayank Agarwal (36, 45b, 8×4) started properly, placing on 57 runs for the opening wicket, with the duo’s cowl drives standing out.

However a second of dangerous judgement price Gill his wicket. Similar to he had within the WTC remaining final 12 months, he shouldered arms and the Navdeep Saini acquired one to nip again in sharply and rattle the off-stump. Mayank fell quickly after, caught down the leg-side by a diving Rishabh Pant off Saini.

Parag and Rahul mixed for an unbroken 68-run partnership. Of the 2, the previous regarded extra assured, along with his two pushed boundaries catching the attention. Rahul performed and missed and was even dropped on three by Nitish Kumar Reddy at second slip off Mukesh Kumar earlier than settling all the way down to see out the day.

Earlier, in a single day batters Musheer Khan and Saini continued their good work from day one by including 88 runs within the first session. Runs got here at a sooner clip and Musheer’s intent was finest expressed within the hooked six and pulled 4 he executed back-to-back off Avesh Khan’s bowling.

Musheer and Saini have been additionally helped by India-A’s spiritlessness and lethargy, an instance of which got here when Khaleel Ahmed missed a runout with each batters stranded mid-pitch. Saini made full use of the chance to go on and notch up his second First Class half-century (56, 144b, 8×4, 1×6).

After lunch, Musheer got here out swinging and appeared set for a double century as he smashed Kuldeep Yadav over long-on for a most. However a repeat try two balls later proved deadly as he was caught at deep square-leg, 19 in need of a deserved double ton (181, 373b, 16×4, 5×6).

The 205-run affiliation between Musheer and Saini was, nonetheless, a brand new document for an eighth-wicket partnership in Duleep Trophy historical past.

The scores: India-B — 1st innings: Yashasvi Jaiswal c sub b Khaleel 30, Abhimanyu Easwaran c Jurel b Avesh 13, Musheer Khan c Parag b Kuldeep 181, Sarfaraz Khan lbw b Avesh 9, Rishabh Pant c Gill b Akash 7, Nitish Kumar Reddy lbw b Akash 0, Washington Sundar run out 0, R. Sai Kishore c Rahul b Khaleel 1, Navdeep Saini c Parag b Akash 56, Yash Dayal c Mayank b Akash 10, Mukesh Kumar (not out) 0; Extras (b-4, lb-6, w-1, nb-3): 14; Complete (in 116 overs): 321.

Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-53, 3-67, 4-80, 5-80, 6-89, 7-94, 8-299, 9-320.

India-A bowling: Khaleel 23-6-54-2, Akash 27-7-60-4, Avesh 22-6-59-2, Dube 12-4-14-0, Kuldeep 21-3-82-1, Kotian 7-0-30-0, Parag 4-0-12-0.

India-A — 1st innings: Mayank Agarwal c Pant b Saini 36, Shubman Gill b Saini 25, Riyan Parag (batting) 27, Ok.L. Rahul (batting) 23; Extras (b-12, lb-4, nb-7): 23; Complete (for 2 wkts. in 35 overs): 134.

Fall of wickets: 1-57, 2-66.

India-B bowling: Mukesh Kumar 9-0-40-0, Yash Dayal 10-1-25-0, Nitish Kumar Reddy 7-2-16-0, Navdeep Saini 8-1-36-2, R. Sai Kishore 1-0-1-0.