The uber-talented Sanju Samson completed his 11th first-class hundred before Arshdeep Singh showed his wares with the semi-new ball as India D held sway over India B on the second day of their final Duleep Trophy round robin league match here on Friday. India D scored 349 in 87.3 overs in their first innings while India B were not very comfortably placed at 210 for 6 when stumps were drawn despite skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran’s (116) second hundred of the tournament. The hundred happens to be Easwaran’s 25th in first-class cricket.
Suryakumar Yadav, the India T20 captain, who missed the first couple of rounds due to finger injury, didn’t last long, managing only five before he was dismissed by the opposition team’s best bowler Arshdeep (3/30 in 12 overs).
Samson, who smashed his way to an unbeaten 89 on the opening day, knocked off the required 11 runs as his 106 off 101 deliveries comprised 12 boundaries and three huge sixes.
Starting the day at 306 for 5, India D didn’t last long despite Samson’s ton as the last five wickets fell with the addition of 43 runs with the bulk of the damage being done by Delhi speedster Navdeep Saini.
Saini (5/74 in 18.3 overs), who wasn’t initially picked in any of the squads, is showing renewed purpose as he grabbed his sixth five-for in first-class cricket and his first in quite some time. With 11 scalps in three games so far, Saini seemed to have once again made his way back into the notebook of the selectors.
When India B batted, it was Easwaran, who looked cut above the rest during his 170-ball knock that had 13 fours and a six.
Having scored 157 not out in the previous game, Easwaran, 29, will keep the five wise men interested about him despite critics pointing out that the former Bengal skipper doesn’t score on big domestic days when the bowling attack is a bit top notch.
While India B were placed well at 88 for 2 at one stage, it was Arshdeep who came back for his second spell with a slightly older SG Test ball and first found Musheer Khan (5) plumb in-front.
Suryakumar was the reason for all those who came to watch the match but he lasted merely 15 balls with Aditya Thakare holing him out off Arshdeep’s bowling.
To make matters worse, Arshdeep also induced an edge off all-rounder Nitish Reddy (0) to Samson with India B tottering at 100 for 5.
But Easwaran kept his composure in presence of Washington Sundar (39 batting) as the duo added 105 runs for the sixth wicket.
The India B skipper was out at the fag end of the day, when Thakare (2/33) got him caught behind the stumps.
Brief Scores: India D 1st Innings: 349 in 87.3 overs (Sanju Samson 106, Navdeep Saini 5/74). India B 1st Innings 210/6 in 56 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 116, Washington Sundar 39 batting, Arshdeep Singh 3/30).
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