Brief Score: East Zone (266, 162 for 6) beat Central Zone (266, 158) by 4 wickets in Bengaluru on Day 3. .
East Zone’s 13-year wait for a place in the Duleep Trophy final ended in Bengaluru on Tuesday, and there was a familiar feeling to the way they got there. They had a teenager setting the tempo, a seasoned opener absorbing pressure, and two experienced fast bowlers making crucial inroads against Central Zone in the semifinal in Bengaluru.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, only 15, once again provided the spark. After his sensational 92 in the first innings, the left-hander struck a brisk 40 in the chase of 159, giving East Zone the momentum they needed before Central threatened to make the finish uncomfortable. East eventually won by four wickets, reaching 162 for six to book their first final appearance since 2012-13.
It was not a straightforward chase. Sooryavanshi’s dismissal, caught brilliantly by Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar while running back from the mid-wicket region, gave Central a glimpse of an opening. Harsh Dubey then kept the pressure on with four wickets, reducing East to 124 for five.
But East had already done enough to ensure that the teenager’s attacking intent was not wasted.
Sooryavanshi and Abhimanyu Easwaran had set up the chase with a 61-run opening stand, with the teenager again showing that his game is not simply about hitting the ball into the stands. Having negotiated the new-ball threat early, he switched gears, hitting two sixes and three fours before Patidar’s spectacular intervention.
Easwaran’s role was equally important. The senior opener had made 69 in the first innings and returned to provide the stability East needed in the chase. He soaked up the pressure alongside Sooryavanshi before falling to Dubey, and the experience of playing around an attacking teenager proved crucial.
Ishan Kishan then took over the responsibility of finishing the job.
Kishan’s match had already taken an unexpected turn after he was injured while keeping on the opening day, forcing Sooryavanshi to assume the captaincy. But once back in the middle, Kishan played the part expected of a senior player, remaining unbeaten on 39 and guiding East through the tense final stages of the chase.
At the other end, Mohammed Shami provided the final touch, staying unbeaten on eight as East crossed the line.
MUKESH AND SHAMI SHINE
The foundation for the victory, however, had been laid with the ball.
Central, the defending champions, were bowled out for 158 in their second innings after being reduced to 45 for three overnight. Mukesh Kumar led the charge with four for 44, while Shami claimed three for 56. Mukesh finished with seven wickets in the match and was named Player of the Match.
Central’s second-innings collapse meant East were chasing only 159, but the significance of the target was never lost on a side carrying the weight of a long wait.
The first innings had ended level at 266 apiece, leaving little to separate the teams. East had appeared in control when Sooryavanshi and Easwaran put on 161 for the opening wicket, only to lose their last nine wickets for 105 runs. Central’s Rinku Singh had earlier made 60 to keep his side in the contest.
This time, East did not let the opportunity slip.
East Zone will take on the winner of the second semifinal between North and South Zone in Chennai next week in the final.
– Ends
