Duleep Trophy: East Zone Take Firm Control

East Zone strengthened its position in the Duleep Trophy final after taking firm control against South Zone on Day 3. After piling up a mammoth 708 in the first innings, East Zone’s bowlers also made a strong impact as South Zone slipped to 242/6 by the close of play on Tuesday. Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar claimed two wickets each, while Devdutt Padikkal top-scored for South with a composed 62. Captain Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 56 and kept the innings together.

South Zone made a difficult start after losing Ricky Bhui for 10, but Padikkal and N. Jagadeesan put together a useful partnership. After Jagadeesan fell for 32, South briefly reached 126/2 before losing Sheikh Rasheed and Padikkal in quick succession. Smaran was dismissed for 23 after adding 43 with Tilak, who then combined with Shreyas Gopal for a 66-run sixth-wicket partnership. Gopal was dismissed in the final over of the day, leaving Tilak alongside Milind. With South still 466 runs behind and struggling to avoid the follow-on, East Zone remain the overwhelming favourites. If the match ends without a result, the winner will be decided on the basis of the first-innings lead.