Nothing can stop Central Zone from becoming the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy champions. The Rajat Patidar-led team will lift the trophy tomorrow even if rain doesn’t allow them to take the field after they secured a massive 362-run lead in the first innings. But it’s safe to assume they’ll chase down a meagre 65-run target.
South Zone put up a fight in the second innings after ending the third day with a 233 deficit, but Central Zone were far too strong for them. Smaran Ravichandran and Ricky Bhui started the fourth day well, but Ricky fell five runs short of his fifty, and this gave Central the opening they needed.
Andre Siddarth & Ankit Sharma miss out on hundreds
Smaran held on for a little while, but at the end, first captain Mohammed Azharuddeen and then Salman Nazir fell to Kumar Kartikeya. After Nazir departed, Smaran followed as Kartikeya took three consecutive wickets. Having started that day at 129/2, South were 222/6 now.
At this point, they were still trailing by 140. But then Andre Siddarth and Ankit Sharma joined hands. Not only did they vanish the trail but also got them into the lead, ensuring that Central had to bat again. Ankit played with a bit of freedom, but looking to score his second first-class hundred, he was caught by Patidar on 99. Kartikeya was the bowler once again.
South was 414/7. Siddarth tried to carry on but ran out of partners. He remained unbeaten on 84, failing to get his second first-class hundred like Ankit. The talented 19-year-old had already scored 5 fifties and 1 hundred in 6 matches, but failed to get that second century. Saransh Jain joined the party to finish with 3 wickets, while Kartikeya ended with a 4-wicket haul.
Brief Score: South Zone (149/10) & (426/10) vs Central Zone (511/10) – Central Zone need 65 runs to win
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