Ananthapur (AP), Sep 15 (UNI) India A claimed a comprehensive victory over India D, clinching the match just before Tea on the final day of the Duleep Trophy on Sunday.
Setting an imposing target of 488 after amassing a mammoth 380 in their second innings, India A’s dominance was never in doubt. Despite a gritty 113 from Ricky Bhui, India D succumbed to relentless pressure, with India A’s spinners weaving a web that ensured an emphatic win.
Bhui was the lone bright spark for India D, standing firm amid the ruins with a determined hundred. His innings, crafted with grit and composure, briefly raised hopes for an unlikely fightback.
Unfortunately for him, those around him failed to replicate his resilience. Wickets fell at alarming intervals, leaving Bhui’s valiant knock as a solitary beacon in an otherwise crumbling display.
India D’s chase got off to a nightmare start as opener Atharva Taide was dismissed for a duck, putting the team on the back foot from the outset.
While Bhui and Yash Dubey (37) attempted to forge a partnership, Dubey’s untimely runout snuffed out any real momentum. The floodgates opened thereafter, with India A’s spinners, Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian, taking control of proceedings. Kotian spun a web around the batsmen, finishing with four wickets, while Mulani played the perfect foil with three of his own.
As the wickets tumbled, Bhui stood alone, battling both the conditions and the scoreboard. Yet, even his determined resistance was not enough to prevent the inevitable. India D were bowled out with an entire session to spare, Bhui’s hundred left as a mere consolation in a dismal team performance.
For India A, this victory serves as a timely resurgence after their earlier defeat to India B. Centuries from Pratham Singh (122) and Tilak Varma (111*) in the second innings laid the foundation for the win, while their bowlers, led by the spin duo, ensured India D never stood a chance.
With this triumph, India A have reignited their campaign and now look poised to challenge for the Trophy.
Meanwhile, India D, after suffering back-to-back defeats, are left pondering what might have been. Their hopes of contesting for the Trophy now hang by a thread, with Bhui’s brilliant knock the only consolation in an otherwise forgettable outing. UNI BDN SSP