Captain's innings anchors South Zone
Tilak Varma played an uncharacteristically patient innings of 106 not out to guide South Zone to a strong position on the second day of the Duleep Trophy semifinal against North Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Monday. South Zone finished the day at 285/9 in 94 overs, leading North Zone by 90 runs with one wicket remaining.
Varma, who is leading South Zone in the match, came to the crease with his team in trouble early. South Zone had resumed on 40/2 and were soon reduced to 80/5, with North Zone's pace attack making early inroads. The 23-year-old, known for his aggressive batting in T20 cricket, shifted to a defensive approach, blocking deliveries for hours. He reached his fifty in 149 balls without hitting a boundary, and his first four came only off his 154th delivery.
Partnership turns the tide
Varma found an ally in Shreyas Gopal, and the pair added 175 runs for the sixth wicket. Their partnership, which lasted 55 overs, was the cornerstone of South Zone's recovery. Gopal, who scored 87 off 169 balls with 11 fours, played more fluently than his captain, but his dismissal in the final session triggered a collapse.
Arshdeep Singh ended Gopal's innings, having him caught by wicketkeeper Abdul Samad. North Zone then picked up quick wickets, and South Zone slipped from 255/5 to 270/9. Varma, however, remained unbeaten, reaching his hundred in 219 balls with back-to-back boundaries off Gurnoor Brar.
North Zone's bowling effort
North Zone, who had been bowled out for 195 on the first day, had their moments with the ball. Gurnoor Brar was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4/70. He dismissed Narayan Jagadeesan early, then accounted for R Smaran and Kodimela Himateja. Arshdeep Singh (2/59) and Anshul Kamboj (2/53) also chipped in, with Kamboj at one point having a leg-before appeal against Varma turned down.
A significant milestone
According to ESPNcricinfo, Varma's century was his eighth in first-class cricket. The knock also helped him cross 1,600 runs in the format, and he now averages over 50 across 24 red-ball games. Varma, who is India's vice-captain in T20Is, has not yet made his Test debut.
Meanwhile, in the other semifinal, Central Zone scored 266 in their first innings and were 45/3 in their second innings at stumps. East Zone, who had scored 266 in 57 overs, had Abhimanyu Easwaran (69) and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (92) among their top scorers, with Harsh Dubey taking 4/66 for Central Zone.