Bengaluru: Sanat Sangwan produced a resolute knock of 76, helping North Zone secure a considerable 139-run lead before South Zone staged a late fightback and triggered a dramatic batting collapse. Despite the late setback, North Zone finished Day 3 in a strong position at 256/7 at stumps on Tuesday, September 1, in the second semifinal of the Duleep Trophy at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2 in Bengaluru.
Day 3 resumed with South Zone captain Tilak Varma magnificently unbeaten on 116, alongside Kavuri Saiteja, as the pair added a valuable 42 runs for the tenth wicket before South Zone secured a 117-run first-innings lead. In the second innings, Sangwan produced an excellent 76 off 148 balls, finding valuable support from Ayush Doseja, who contributed a composed 52 off 76 balls. The pair then stitched together a crucial 104-run partnership for the second wicket, guiding North Zone safely past the deficit. However, South Zone made a strong late comeback, triggering a batting collapse that reduced North Zone from 175/2 to 209/7. M.D. Nidheesh, Kavuri Saiteja and Shreyas Gopal led the bowling attack, taking six wickets between them, with two wickets each, while Vidhwath picked up one. With North Zone suffering a sudden collapse, Nitish Sidhu (20 off 54) and Ayush Kamboj (29 off 23) provided valuable lower-order resistance, adding an unbeaten 47-run partnership. North Zone eventually finished Day 3 at 256/7 in 66 overs, with a 139-run lead.
The day began with Tilak Varma and Kavuri Saiteja adding a crucial 42 runs for the tenth wicket before Saiteja was dismissed for 13 off 21 balls. South Zone were eventually bowled out for 312 in 100.3 overs, securing a 117-run first-innings lead. Tilak finished with a brilliant 116 off 250 balls, including nine fours, and played a pivotal role in helping South Zone post a strong first-innings total. North Zone began their second innings in a steady manner, with the opening duo adding 25 runs before the first wicket fell, as Saiteja dismissed Qamran Iqbal for just 4. After the early setback, Sangwan and Ayush Doseja settled the innings and stitched together a superb 104-run partnership off 137 balls for the second wicket. The partnership took North Zone safely past the deficit, with both batters completing impressive half-centuries and looking to build a strong platform for the innings. However, South Zone finally found the breakthrough when Vidhwath Kaverappa ended the crucial partnership by dismissing Doseja after his impressive knock of 52 off 76 balls, including five boundaries. As Ayush Badoni came to the crease, he delivered a composed 31 off 37 balls, including four boundaries, before Kavuri Saiteja brought an end to his innings. However, with wickets continuing to tumble, North Zone suffered a dramatic batting collapse, slipping from 175/2 to 209/7 as they lost five wickets for just 34 runs. Abdul Samad was trapped lbw by Shreyas Gopal after scoring 14 off 11 balls, as North Zone reached 190/4 before heading into the tea break with a 48-run lead. Just after the tea break, Sanat Sangwan’s crucial knock of 76 off 148 balls, including eight boundaries, came to an end when Nidheesh dismissed him. The wickets continued to tumble as captain Kanhaiya Wadhawan (14 off 14) was also dismissed by Nidheesh, while Abid Mushtaq (1 off 6 balls) fell to Gopal. With the collapse, South Zone found some momentum, but it did not last long. Kamboj and Nitish Sidhu provided valuable lower-order resistance, adding an important unbeaten 47-run partnership for the eighth wicket to keep North Zone in control. Kamboj played with aggressive intent, scoring an unbeaten 29 off 23 balls, including three fours and two sixes, while Sidhu contributed a composed 20 off 54 balls and remained unbeaten. North Zone eventually finished the day at 256/7 at stumps, holding a 139-run lead.
Day 4 promises to be a decisive one, with South Zone looking to strike early and wrap up the remaining three wickets before North Zone can extend their lead further. North Zone, meanwhile, will aim to add valuable runs and set South Zone a challenging target for the final chase.
