Cricket / Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar Put East Zone in Command of Duleep Trophy Final

Chennai, Sep 8: Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar delivered decisive spells on Day 3 of the Duleep Trophy final, striking key blows that left South Zone reeling and firmly placed East Zone in command at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

South Zone, led by Tilak Varma, were restricted to 242/6 in their first innings, still trailing East by 466 runs. Devdutt Padikkal (62) and Tilak Varma (56*), who remains unbeaten, registered half-centuries, but their dismissals left South facing an uphill battle.

The day began with Ricky Bhui edging one behind, only for stand-in wicketkeeper Kumar Kushagra to complete the catch. East vice-captain Vaibhav Sooryavanshi successfully pressed for a review after the umpire’s initial not-out call, overturning the decision via DRS.

Narayan Jagadeesan followed soon after, slicing Shikhar Mohan to point as South went to lunch at 115/2.

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East’s seamers continued to exploit reverse swing in the second session. Shami struck to remove Shaik Rasheed, though the veteran pacer appeared troubled by a neck issue. Padikkal looked solid but fell to Mukesh Kumar, holing out to deep square leg.

Later, Shami returned to dismiss Smaran Ravichandran, with Kushagra once again convincing Sooryavanshi to review after the umpire missed the edge.

In the final session, East tightened their grip further, allowing South only 62 runs. Md Kounain Quraishi added to the misery by dismissing Shreyas Gopal with a sharp caught-and-bowled effort.

Despite Tilak Varma’s unbeaten resistance, South Zone ended the day with little momentum and a daunting deficit. With Ishan Kishan’s mammoth 270 already setting the tone, East Zone closed Day 3 as the happier camp, leaving South with a mountain to climb.

Brief scores: East Zone 708 in 163 overs (Ishan Kishan 270, Kumar Kushagra 101; Tripurana Vijay 4-180, Chama Milind 2-88) lead South Zone 242/6 (Tilak Varma 56*, Devdutt Padikkal 62; Mohammed Shami 2-17, Mukesh Kumar 2-36) by 466 runs.

(IANS)