Duleep Trophy: Hundreds by Patidar, Rathod give clear edge to Central
Central now enjoys 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.
Central Zone's Rajat Patidar and Yash Rathod during the second day of the Duleep Trophy final
BENGALURU: 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 enjoys 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.
Patidar was the enforcer as he played some delightful shots around the ground, and punished Bhui with a sequence of 4, 6, 4, but even those beefy hits carried his inherent elegance.
Soon, he smoked Gurjapneet for a four and six off successive balls to move into the 90s, and the hundred came without much delay with a single off left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma.
Brief scores: South Zone 149 vs Central Zone 384/5 in 104 overs (Y Rathod 137 batting, R Patidar 101, D Malewar 53, S Jain 47 batting, G Singh 3/74)
