Duleep Trophy 2024: Mayank Agarwal and Pratham Singh’s 115 run opening stand puts India A in driver’s seat against India D

Anantapur: Openers Pratham Singh and Mayank Agarwal shared a 100 and fifteen-run opening stand for India A against India D within the 2d innings before the latter became taken out by Shreyas Iyer on the last delivery of day two’s play within the Duleep Trophy 2d-round match on the Rural Development Trust Stadium on Friday.

At stumps, India A are at 100 and fifteen/1 and lead by 222 runs with 9 wickets in hand, after day two’s play yielded 13 wickets overall. Within the morning, India A’s inning ended at 289, with Shams Mulani’s rearguard act ending at 89.

In reply, pacers Khaleel Ahmed and Aaqib Khan took three scalps each and each to bowl out India D for 183, as India A took a 107-run first-innings lead. Left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal waged a lone battle for India D through his knock of ninety two, while Harshit Rana chipped in with a useful 31.

Resuming from an overnight score of 288/Eight, Harshit Rana brushed aside Shams Mulani to depart him eleven runs short of what would have been his first century in first-class cricket. Presently after, Rana castled Aaqib to take his fourth wicket and ended the India A innings on 290 in eighty four.three overs.

India D’s reply began on a sour note as Atharva Taide became trapped lbw by Khaleel within the first over. The left-arm pacer then brushed aside captain Shreyas Iyer for a seven-ball duck, before Aaqib came in to dismiss Yash Dubey and Sanju Samson as India D were reduced to fifty two/Four.

Devdutt and Ricky Bhui (23) tried rebuilding India D’s innings with a forty four-run stand before the latter became trapped lbw by Khaleel after lunch. With batters falling quickly from the alternative end, Padikkal became firm in standing up for India D, hitting 15 fours in his 124-ball stay on the crease.

After Padikkal became caught on the back of off his Karnataka state teammate Prasidh Krishna, Harshit hit four fours and two sixes in his quick cameo before becoming the last wicket to fall, as India D’s innings ended at 183 in fifty two.1 overs.

Armed with a 107-run lead, Agarwal, the India A skipper, hit eight boundaries in his 56 off 87 balls, while Pratham hit six fours to be fifty 9 no longer out off eighty two balls. India A looked set to end the day without to any extent further damage until Mayank chipped off the toe-end of his bat against a flighted delivery from Shreyas, who dived to his right and took a pointy, low catch on the stroke of stumps on an eventful day two.

Brief Scores: India A 290/10 (Shams Mulani 89, Tanush Kotian 53; Harshit Rana Four-51) and 100 and fifteen/1 (Pratham Singh fifty 9*, Mayank Agarwal 56; Shreyas Iyer 1-Zero) lead India D 183/10 (Devdutt Padikkal ninety two; Khaleel Ahmed three-39) by 222 runs.