South Zone’s hopes of fighting their way back into the Duleep Trophy final took another hit on Day 3 as East Zone’s mammoth first-innings total of 708 continued to cast a long shadow. Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 56 provided some resistance, but South Zone finished the day at 242/6 after 80 overs, still 466 runs behind with only four wickets remaining.
The day was largely about East Zone maintaining pressure rather than producing one decisive burst. South Zone needed substantial partnerships to make serious inroads into the deficit, but wickets kept interrupting their progress. Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar led the attack at important moments, while the fielding unit also remained alert throughout the day.
South Zone vs East Zone, Duleep Trophy final Day 3: HIGHLIGHTS
After South Zone had made a relatively steady start, Shami produced the breakthrough after lunch by using reverse swing to trap Shaik Rasheed lbw for 27. Mukesh then followed up by removing Devdutt Padikkal, who had been one of South Zone’s more dependable batters during the innings.
VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI’S DRS INSTINCTS
One of the more intriguing subplots of the day was the continuing involvement of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in East Zone’s DRS decisions. The 15-year-old had already convinced Ishan Kishan to review Ricky Bhui’s dismissal earlier in the innings, with UltraEdge confirming that Bhui had edged the ball behind.
Sooryavanshi then had a second say when Padikkal was struck on the pads by Md Kounain Quraishi. He backed another review, but this time ball-tracking showed that the delivery was missing the stumps and East Zone lost one review.
The youngster got another call right later in the day. With Kishan off the field, Sooryavanshi was leading East Zone when Shami returned to the attack and found the edge of Smaran Ravichandran. Kumar Kushagra was convinced there had been contact and Sooryavanshi agreed to review. UltraEdge confirmed the nick, giving Shami his second wicket and leaving Ravichandran on his way for 23.
It added another successful DRS intervention to Sooryavanshi’s growing list. He had also made a successful review while serving as stand-in captain during the semi-final, showing that his influence has extended beyond his batting in this tournament.
PADIKKAL’S RESISTANCE COULD NOT HELP
Padikkal had played an important role in giving South Zone something to build around. The left-hander showed patience through a difficult period and brought up a valuable 62 from 104 deliveries.
His dismissal at 127/4, however, left South Zone in a difficult position. Mukesh found the breakthrough with Padikkal caught by substitute Denish Das, removing a batter who had spent considerable time trying to stabilise the innings.
South Zone subsequently lost more wickets, but Varma refused to let the innings completely unravel. The captain absorbed the pressure and took the responsibility of batting deep into the day.
SOUTH ZONE’S MOUNTAIN TASK ON DAY 4
Varma’s unbeaten 56 from 133 balls remains South Zone’s biggest reason for optimism. Shreyas Gopal gave him valuable company in the final session, adding 26 from 79 balls, but Md Kounain Quraishi finally broke their partnership at 240/6 when Gopal was caught and bowled.
Only two runs were added after Gopal’s dismissal, leaving Varma unbeaten alongside Chama V Milind on 2. South Zone managed just 28 runs in the final 10 overs, highlighting how heavily they had shifted towards survival as the day progressed.
The equation for Day 4 is daunting. South Zone need another 467 runs simply to draw level with East Zone’s first-innings score, and they have only four wickets left.
Varma’s wicket will be the obvious prize for East Zone. If the captain goes early, the lower order will have a huge task against a bowling attack that has already extracted movement and kept the scoring under control.
East Zone, meanwhile, will sense that the trophy is within reach. Their 708 has given them an enormous cushion, and another early burst on the fourth morning could bring the final into its decisive phase very quickly.
– Ends
