Chennai: East Zone moved closer to the brink of victory as they stretched their daunting overall lead to 584 runs with five wickets still in hand, with Ishan Kishan’s electrifying knock of 80 off 98 balls guiding East Zone to 212/5 and further strengthening their commanding position before stumps on Day 4, Wednesday, September 9, in the Duleep Trophy final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
South Zone endured another difficult day as they were bowled out for 336 after 107.3 overs in their first innings during the first session of Day 4, despite Tilak Varma’s determined and fighting knock of 99. Unfortunately, he missed out on a well-deserved century by just one run, as South Zone were left 372 runs behind East Zone’s mammoth first-innings total of 708. In their second innings, East Zone captain Ishan Kishan produced another aggressive yet brilliant knock of 80 off 98 balls as East Zone posted 212/5, further extending their overall lead to a commanding 584 runs with five wickets still in hand. Kumar Kushagra (34 off 55) and MD Kounain Quraishi (26 off 30) remained unbeaten at the end of Day 4.
Day 4 resumed at 242/6, with Tilak Varma unbeaten on 56 alongside Chama Milind, who was unbeaten on 2. The duo continued their crucial 78-run partnership off 116 balls for the seventh wicket before Milind was eventually dismissed by Shikhar Mohan for a composed 43 off 68 balls. Following Milind’s dismissal, South Zone suffered another setback, losing two more wickets in quick succession. Tripurana Vijay was run out for 1 following a costly miscommunication, while Mukesh Kumar removed Mohammed Siraj for 1, leaving South Zone nine wickets down. The South Zone captain stood tall in an attempt to rescue his side from a difficult situation, producing a fighting and determined knock of 99 off 211 balls, including nine boundaries. His resolute innings guided South Zone past the 300-run mark before he agonisingly fell one run short of a well-deserved century. Mukesh Kumar impressed with figures of 3/62, while Shami chipped in with 2/42. Quraishi and Mohan continued to keep the pressure on South Zone, claiming two wickets apiece to share four wickets between them.
East Zone started their second innings with an early setback as Mohammed Siraj finally claimed his first wicket of the match, removing Abhimanyu Easwaran for 3 off 13 balls. Soon after, Tripurana Vijay struck again, dismissing Vaibhav Suryavanshi for 8 off 16 balls. However, East Zone captain Ishan Kishan took charge alongside Shikhar Mohan as the duo stitched together a superb 126-run partnership off 170 balls for the third wicket. Ishan Kishan looked in incredible form following his magnificent 270-run knock in the first innings. He produced another fluent and commanding innings, showcasing a masterclass in batting and launching an aggressive assault on Vijay in one over, smashing him for 4, 6, 6 and 4. Eventually, Kishan missed out on consecutive centuries as MD Nidheesh brought an end to his brilliant innings, dismissing him for 80 off 98 balls, including nine boundaries. Meanwhile, Mohan brought up a consecutive half-century before Shaik Rasheed dismissed him for 52 off 82 balls. East Zone then lost another wicket when Sudip Kumar Gharami was run out. However, Kumar Kushagra (34 off 55) and Quraishi (26 off 30) steadied the innings with an unbeaten 52-run partnership off 68 balls for the sixth wicket, ensuring there was no further loss before stumps. East Zone ended the day at 212/5, holding a commanding 584-run lead.
East Zone continued to remain firmly in control of the match, with the outcome now heavily tilted in their favour, leaving South Zone facing an enormous challenge on the final day of the Duleep Trophy final.
