Shubham Khajuria (128 batting, 245b, 20×4, 1×6) displayed dogged resilience at the same time as North Zone suffered a late blip in its Duleep Trophy semifinal towards South Zone on the BCCI CoE Ground (1) right here on Friday.
Opener Khajuria gave his facet hope, within the face of South Zone’s mammoth 536 whole. The Jammu and Kashmir opener batted via the day to information his facet to 278 for 5.
Late jolts
The job forward for North Zone on the ultimate day may have been lots simpler, if not for the lack of two late wickets.
After offering ready assist to Khajuria in a 171-run fourth-wicket stand, Nishant Sindhu (82, 148b, 9×4, 1×6) fell with lower than half an hour to go for shut of play.
Sindhu paid the worth for a rash stroke, trying an uppercut off pacer Gurjapneet Singh which landed within the palms of deep third-man.
Two overs later, South Zone was proper again in it, when sharp fielding from captain Mohammed Azharuddeen caught Kanhaiya Wadhawan in need of the crease. From a snug 272 for 3, North Zone slipped to a nervy 272 for 5. The customer, which wants 258 runs to erase the innings deficit, will take consolation within the presence of the regular Khajuria.
There was an harm scare for South’s Salman Nizar, who was struck on the leg when fielding at foolish level. Salman was carried off the bottom
by two teammates, because the medical personnel couldn’t be discovered.
He was then taken in an ambulance for therapy, and returned to the bottom late within the day.
In the adjoining BCCI CoE Ground (2), Central Zone overhauled West Zone’s 438-run first-innings whole. Overnight batters Shubham Sharma
(96) and Rajat Patidar (77) began effectively, however the bulk of the heavy lifting was carried out by Upendra Yadav (87, 181b, 8×4, 2×4) and Harsh Dubey (75, 93b, 13×4). The duo got here along with Central in a difficult spot at 322 for 5, and took the staff to security with a 134-run sixth-wicket partnership.
Barring a miracle, Central — sitting on a lead of 118 runs — is bound to achieve the ultimate.
The scores: At BCCI CoE Ground (1): South Zone 536 vs North Zone 278/5 in 79 overs (Shubham Khajuria 128 batting, Ayush Badoni 40, Nishant Sindhu 82, Gurjapneet Singh 3/67).
At BCCI CoE Ground (2): West Zone 438 vs Central Zone 556/8 in 157 overs (Ayush Pandey 40, Danish Malewar 76, Shubham Sharma 96, Rajat Patidar 77, Upendra Yadav 87, Harsh Dubey 75, Saransh Jain 37 batting, Deepak Chahar 33, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 4/101).
