The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : East takes control as South’s batting is exposed

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East takes control as South’s batting is exposed

Special Correspondent

MUMBAI: East Zone spinner Tushar Saha exposed the brittleness in the South Zone batting after a disciplined effort by the pace attack in their Duleep Trophy tie. East Zone’s 109-runs first innings lead on day two eased the pressure on the batsmen who can now switch to an aggressive mode in the second innings, as the four-day contest approaches a decisive phase.

South, bowled out for 204 in reply to East’s 313 in the first innings, has now backed into a wall and requires an all-round effort for an escape route.

East Zone’s Halhadar Das, on 78 overnight, displayed the virtues of concentration and temperament on a Wankhede wicket which retained its sporting character. On a day when 13 wickets fell, the wicket-keeper’s spirited knock (93 runs, 146 minutes, 16x4) helped take East’s total past the 300-mark before hooking N.C. Aiyappa into long-leg’s hands.

The last three East batsmen consumed 66 minutes, so South’s first innings collapse later defies reason.

Ranadeb Bose struck in the second over, opener Swapnil Asnodkar edging to second slip. East ’keeper Das dived in front of first slip to bring off a superb catch. Ravi Teja, the other opener, was gone with just 26 on the board.

S. Badrinath led the fightback, reeling off four boundaries in Bose’s sixth over — a flick to long-leg, a cover-drive, a steer behind square and another drive on the frontfoot through cover.

S.S. Paul came on first change and got one through Badrinath’s defence and sent the middle-stump went flying. A 59-run fourth wicket stand between Murali Vijay (46 runs, 172 balls, 8x4) and Arjun Yadav (41 off 113 balls) ended when the former tried a lofted shot off left-arm spinner Tushar Saha and the ball ended up in Mohanty’s hands at deep mid-off. The scores: East Zone — 1st innings: Shib Sunder Das c M. Vijay b Ashwin 82, Arindam Das lbw b Vinay Kumar 0, Anustup Majumdar c M. Vijay b Aiyappa 19, Niranjan Behera c Reddy b Aiyappa 8, Manoj Vardan c M. Vijay b Vinay Kumar 20, P.J. Das c Asnodkar b Ashwin 14, Halhadar Das c Vinay Kumar b Aiyappa 93, Tushar Saha c Ojha b Vijay Kumar 29, Debasis Mohanty lbw b Aiyappa 16, Ranadeb Bose (not out) 6, S.S. Paul c Asnodkar b Aiyappa 17, Extras (lb-4, nb-5) 9. Total (in 91.3 overs) 313.

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-46, 3-54, 4-102, 5-134, 6-170, 7-241, 8-285, 9-290.

South Zone bowling: Vinay Kumar 20-4-88-2, N.C. Aiyappa 21.3-2-84-5, P. Vijay Kumar 16-5-38-1, Pragyan Ojha 19-4-48-0, R. Ashwin 13-1-48-2, S. Badrinath 2-1-3-0.

South Zone — 1st innings: Ravi Teja c H. Das b Mohanty 13, Swapnil Asnodkar c A. Das b Bose 4, Murali Vijay c Mohanty b Saha 46, S. Badrinath b Paul 23, Arjun Yadav lbw b P.J. Das 41, Prasad Reddy c Behera b Saha 20, R. Ashwin ht. wkt. b Saha 13, Vinay Kumar c A. Das b Saha 24, N.C. Aiyappa c H. Das b Bose 6, Pragyan Ojha (run out) 0, P. Vijay Kumar (not out) 0, Extras (b-10, lb-2, w-1, nb-1) 14; Total (in 79.2 overs) 204.

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-26, 3-68, 4-127, 5-151, 6-169, 7-180, 8-197, 9-202.

East Zone bowling: Debasis Mohanty 17-6-24-1, Ranadeb Bose 19-7-60-2, S.S. Paul 12-2-33-1, Niranjan Behera 4-1-14-0, Tushar Saha 22.2-6-47-4, P.J. Das 5-0-14-1.

East Zone — 2nd innings: Shib Sunder Das (batting) 4, Arindam Das (batting) 0, Extras (lb-1) 1; Total (for no loss in one over) 5.

South Zone bowling: Vinay Kumar 1-0-4-0.

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