Skipper Rajat Patidar and Yash Rathod exploited the shortage of spin bowling choices in South Zone ranks to attain centuries and take Central Zone to a commanding 384 for 5 on Day 2 of the Duleep Trophy ultimate in Bengaluru on Friday. Central have a powerful first innings lead of 235 runs after Patidar (101, 115 balls) and Rathod (137 batting, 188b) scored their fifteenth and seventh first-class centuries respectively.
Saransh Jain (47 batting) was giving firm to Rathod at stumps.
Earlier than Patidar and Rathod milked 167 runs for the fourth wicket to take the match decisively away from South, the previous have been in some hassle at 93 for 3. In a single day 50 for no loss, Central added 102 runs within the first session however misplaced openers Danish Malewar (53), Akshay Wadkar (22) and Shubham Sharma (6) in fast succession. Pacer Gurjapneet Singh (3/74) was the decide of bowlers in that session, jagging the ball round below gray skies to beat the batters typically. Within the morning session, he was rewarded with the wickets of Malewar and Shubham, whereas fellow fast Vasuki Koushik accounted for Wadkar, who shouldered arms to a supply on the off-stump.
However the pitch and situations eased out within the second and third classes, benefitting Patidar and Rathod. Patidar took Central previous South Zone’s first innings whole of 148, when he swept leg-spinner Ricky Bhui for a 4. As soon as the first goal of first innings lead was achieved, Patidar and Rathod shifted gears so as to add 124 runs within the post-lunch session. Patidar was the enforcer as he performed some pleasant pictures across the floor, and punished Bhui with a sequence of 4, 6, 4.
Quickly, he smoked Gurjapneet for a 4 and 6 off successive balls to maneuver into the 90s, and the hundred got here with out a lot delay with a single off left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma. Patidar’s 50 got here in 73 balls however his subsequent fifty flowed in 39 balls, as South Zone had just one real spinner in Ankit. Bhui’s part-time leg-spin was useful solely in slipping in just a few fast overs that helped South preserve an affordable over-rate on the day.
On the different finish, Rathod was extra circumspect, giving as a lot strike as attainable to on-song Patidar, however the latter will remorse getting out to a unfastened shot.
The Central chief performed a pull off Gurjapneet solely to nibble the ball down the leg aspect to wicketkeeper and his South counterpart Mohammed Azharuddeen.
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Rathod, final season’s highest run-getter within the Ranji Trophy, fetched his fifty in 84 balls, after which marched to the three-figure mark in 132 balls with a single off Ankit, and he celebrated the second with a brief run with outstretched arms.
The wicket of Patidar might need given South the hope of working via Central’s late order to restrict the primary innings deficit.
However Rathod and Jain added 118 runs for the unfinished sixth wicket stand to stretch Central’s lead previous the 200-run mark, and carrying them nearer to the Duleep title.
Persistence key for Kartikeya
It might be recalled that Central spinners Saransh Jain and Kumar Kartikeya had taken 9 wickets amongst them.
“I’ve been ready for this chance for a very long time. In my thoughts, no matter likelihood I get, even when I get just one likelihood, I’ve to make it depend,” Kartikeya is quoted as saying by PTI after the primary day’s play.
In his first red-ball match of the 2025-26 season, Kartikeya, who is mostly dubbed as a white ball specialist, confirmed his versatility whereas bowling an impeccable spell with purple ball, typically holding the batters guessing.
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“I do know it is not going to be simple as a result of from what I’ve seen within the final 3-4 matches (right here), the financial system charge of the bowlers has been fairly excessive. So, I’ve analysed that I’ve to maintain the financial system good first, in order that batsmen come below stress and one thing goes incorrect.” “I knew that runs could be made on this pitch. But when I maintain bowling in good areas, the harder will probably be for the batters, so, I needed to play with persistence and it was my important motive. I benefited from it. So, I used to be making an attempt to be extra affected person in bowling,” he added.
He wouldn’t have gotten an opportunity within the title conflict had fellow left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey not obtained chosen for India A to play towards Australia A. Kartikeya stated he was decided to make an influence in his first Duleep Trophy likelihood in over two seasons. “Earlier than this match, two years in the past, I took eight wickets in a Duleep Trophy match. After that, I’ve not been in a position to carry out. It’s in my thoughts that I must take as many wickets as attainable in home cricket to get a reputation for myself.”
Transient scores: South Zone 149 vs Central Zone 384/5 (Rathod 137*, Patidar 101, Malewar 53, Gurjapneet 3-74), Central lead by 235 runs on the finish of Day 2
With PTI inputs