Centuries from Rajat Patidar (101, 115b, 12×4, 2×6) and Yash Rathod (137 batting, 188b, 11×4, 1×6) took Central Zone to a robust place in opposition to South Zone on the second day of their Duleep Trophy final on the BCCI CoE Ground (1) right here on Friday.
Patidar and Rathod shut South out of the competition with a 167-run fourth-wicket stand. Central completed the day on 384 for 5, with a 235-run first-innings lead.
Vidarbha batter Rathod, the very best run-scorer of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season, blunted spinners Ankit Sharma and Ricky Bhui. Quick to identify the size and rock again, Rathod picked the gaps with ease.
Rathod
| Photo Credit:
Ok. MURALI KUMAR
In the night session, Rathod and Saransh Jain (47 batting) fully deflated South with an unbroken 118-run stand.
Patidar’s high quality kind continued, with the skipper notching up his fifteenth First Class hundred. Patidar was at his finest in opposition to pacers Gurjapneet Singh, V. Koushik and M.D. Nidheesh, presenting the complete face of the bat with pleasing straight drives. The Central captain displayed his full vary of strokes when off-spinner Bhui got here on. An enormous hit over mid-wicket, sweeps and a reduce left Bhui trying to find solutions.
Patidar obtained a reprieve on 44, when he supplied no shot to left-arm tweaker Ankit and was adjudged leg-before. Replays, nevertheless, confirmed that Ankit had overstepped.
The 32-year-old was lastly trapped by a bouncer from Gurjapneet, tickling a hook to the wicket-keeper.
Earlier, Koushik gave South hope in the beginning of the day by eradicating Akshay Wadkar. The opener shouldered arms to a ball which pitched exterior off, however moved in sharply to hit the stumps.
Wadkar’s companion Danish Malewar (53, 120b, 5×4) continued to impress. The 21-year-old, who solely made his senior debut final season, displayed commendable fortitude to see off the brand new ball.
The scores: South Zone 149 vs Central Zone 384/5 in 104 overs (Danish Malewar 53, Rajat Patidar 101, Yash Rathod 137 batting, Saransh Jain 47 batting, Gurjapneet Singh 3/74).
