Bengaluru, Sep 12: Skipper Rajat Patidar and Yash Rathod exploited the lack of spin bowling options in South Zone ranks to craft easy-on-the-eye hundreds, taking Central Zone to a commanding 384 for five on Day 2 of the Duleep Trophy final here on Friday.
Central now enjoy a strong innings lead of 235 runs after Patidar (101, 115 balls) and Rathod (137 batting, 188b) scored their 15th and 7th first-class centuries respectively.Saransh Jain (47 batting) was giving company to Rathod at stumps.Before Patidar and Rathod milked 167 runs for the fourth wicket to take the match decisively away from South, the former were in some trouble at 93 for three.
Overnight 50 for no loss, Central added 102 runs in the first session but lost openers Danish Malewar (53), Akshay Wadkar (22) and Shubham Sharma (6) in quick succession.
Pacer Gurjapneet Singh (3/74) was the pick of bowlers in that session, jagging the ball around under grey skies to beat the batters often.In the morning session he was rewarded with the wickets of Malewar and Shubham, while fellow quick Vasuki Koushik accounted for Wadkar, who inexplicably shouldered arms to a delivery on the off-stump.
But the pitch and conditions eased out in the second and third sessions, benefitting Patidar and Rathod. Patidar took Central past South Zone’s first innings total of 148, when he swept leg-spinner Ricky Bhui for boundary.
Once the primary target of first innings lead was achieved, Patidar and Rathod shifted gears to add 124 runs in the post-lunch session. (PTI)
