On a windy day in Bengaluru, the Central Zone took control of the Duleep Trophy semifinal against the West Zone. Central skipper Shivam Mavi led from the front with a four-wicket haul, restricting West Zone to 216/8 on the first day of the match.
The match started with West Zone winning the toss and opting to bat. However, they struggled to keep the scorecard moving, with the first boundary coming only in the seventh over of the day. Opener Prithvi Shaw looked promising with a few boundaries before being dismissed by an excellent piece of fielding by Dhruv Jurel.
Mavi, after an initial struggle, came back strong with his second spell, taking crucial wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Sarfaraz Khan. Saurabh Kumar also played a role in dismissing Yadav, while Sarfaraz fell after an inside edge crashed onto the stumps resulting in a duck. Avesh Khan contributed to West’s downfall by dismantling Het Patel’s stumps with a searing, in-swinging yorker.
However, the day was not without its share of injuries. Avesh Khan and Rinku Singh were forced to leave the field after a collision while attempting to catch a ball. Meanwhile, Cheteshwar Pujara played a steady innings and built a partnership with all-rounder Atit Seth. Pujara’s immaculate defense and occasional attacking shots kept Central in control.
Pujara and Seth’s partnership was eventually broken when Seth fell to a short ball from Mavi. Baroda all-rounder Seth then formed a crucial 73-run partnership with Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, dragging West to a safer position. However, Jadeja was caught bat-pad at short leg by Saransh Jain, giving Jain the last laugh.
Mavi returned to claim another vital wicket, swinging the second new ball away from Seth to get a nick. Chintan Gaja and Arzan Nagwaswalla saw out the rest of the day for West.
Central Zone displayed excellent bowling and fielding throughout the day, restricting West Zone to a respectable score. With the run rate kept under three, Central Zone has a good chance of securing their first win over West in the Duleep Trophy in 25 years.
Both teams will be looking to make an impact on the second day of the match as rain clouds circle over the ground. It promises to be an exciting contest between the two sides vying for a spot in the Duleep Trophy final.
Overall, Central Zone’s pacers, led by captain Shivam Mavi, were the stars of the day. Their disciplined bowling and impressive fielding put them in a commanding position against the much-fancied West Zone. The match hangs in the balance, and spectators can look forward to an intense battle between the two teams.
