Duleep Trophy Semifinal: South Zone Dominates North Zone
South Zone tighten the screws after Kaverappa burst; East’s bowlers drag Central back
Kaverappa rips through North after Iqbal’s lone stand
South Zone walked off at stumps with the game in their grip and just enough of a reminder that North Zone are still swinging.
On a testing opening day of the Duleep Trophy semifinal at the BCCI CoE, South’s bowlers, led by a sharp, hostile spell from Vidhwath Kaverappa, bundled North out for 195 and then chipped away at the reply to close on 40 for 2.
The tone of the day belonged to Kaverappa. He finished with 4 for 66, but the numbers only tell part of the story. He snapped the backbone of North’s lower order in a ruthless second burst, turning what could have been a competitive first-innings total into something far more modest.
North had chosen to bat, just as they did in the quarterfinal against West. This time, the script never really settled. Only Qamran Iqbal looked at ease, compiling a composed 76 while the innings crumbled around him.
At 95 for 4 before lunch, North were already in trouble. No.3 Ayush Doseja had promised more than he delivered, striking five boundaries in his 23 before falling to Kavuri Saiteja. The dismissals of Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad in quick succession tightened the noose. Each wicket chipped away at North’s intent, each dismissal another reminder that this South attack does not let go once it senses vulnerability.
Captain Kanhaiya Wadhawan tried to drag his side into safer waters. His 35, in a 66-run stand with Iqbal, was the only partnership of substance in the innings. When Tanay Thyagarajan, nagging and accurate, went through Wadhawan’s defenses, the innings shifted again. Thyagarajan’s 2 for 31, backed by MD Nidheesh’s steady support, kept South’s pressure constant.
Iqbal fought on with the lower order, hoping for the kind of rescue act that Anshul Kamboj had provided in the previous match. It never arrived. After an expensive opening spell, Kaverappa returned refreshed and ruthless. The last five wickets disappeared for just 21 runs. North, from a position where 250 looked within reach, slumped to 195 and walked off knowing they had left at least 50 runs on the table.
South, though, did not get a free ride in reply. North hit back with the new ball, Kamboj and Guroor Brar striking once each to jolt the chase early. Those blows kept the contest alive.
At the other end, N. Jagadeesan batted as if on a different surface. He raced to an unbeaten 34, timing the ball sweetly and refusing to let the early wickets dictate the tempo. South closed on 40 for 2, still 155 behind but with their premier bat in control and the game leaning their way.
On a day that began with North’s ambition, it ended with South’s bowlers and Jagadeesan’s calm hand on the tiller.
Brief scores: North Zone 195 (Qamran Iqbal 76; Vidhwath Kaverappa 4-66, Tanay Thyagarajan 2-31) lead South Zone 40/2 (N. Jagadeesan 34*; Anshul Kamboj 1-9) by 155 runs.
East’s bowlers answer Rinku’s counterattack
Across the draw, in the other semifinal, East Zone’s seamers and discipline did what captains crave in knockout cricket: they refused to let a promising innings turn into a match-defining one.
Central Zone, sent in after East won the toss and chose to bowl, were restricted to 266, a total that owed its respectability to Rinku Singh’s controlled 60 and a stubborn last-wicket stand.
East struck early and hard. Abhijit Sarkar, bustling in with purpose, removed both openers, Aman Mokhade and Kunal Chandela, to leave Central exposed. His 3 for 38 framed the morning session. Every time Central tried to breathe, Sarkar or one of his colleagues tightened the grip again.
When captain Rajat Patidar fell leg-before to Mukesh Kumar for 12, Central were 66 for 3 and sinking. Mukesh, ever reliable, probed away to finish with 3 for 56, his wickets arriving at key moments rather than in a late-innings flourish.
Aryan Juyal’s 46, promising and neatly constructed, offered a way out. It did not last. Trapped LBW by Mukesh, he left with the score on 125 for 5 and Central staring at a sub-200 collapse.
Rinku changed that mood. He walked in with the innings teetering and imposed order. His 60, from 88 balls with eight boundaries, was not a slog; it was a calculated effort to shepherd the lower middle order and keep the scoreboard alive. He found an ally in Harsh Dubey, the pair adding 55 crucial runs that dragged Central from trouble to something closer to contention.
Once Rinku departed, the innings threatened to fall away again. East kept chipping, refusing to let the tail wag freely. Yet the final word belonged to Central’s last pair. Yash Thakur, aggressive and unflustered, cracked six boundaries in a 26-ball 30*, while Arshad Khan dug in at the other end, facing nine balls for a solitary run. It was a small stand, but a telling one. Those extra runs nudged Central to 266 and gave their bowlers something to defend.
East walked off knowing they had done the hard work with the ball. Central, rescued by Rinku and then by their No. 11, know they are still in the fight.
The next session in both semifinals will decide whether these totals look competitive or inadequate.
