Despite early expenses, India D’s dominant lead over India C in their Duleep Trophy match was largely down to important wickets from Shreyas Iyer and Devdutt Padikkal. This set up a great position for Day 3.
Great performances from Shreyas Iyer and Devdutt Padikkal gave India D, the current Duleep Trophy winners, a significant advantage over India C. Padikkal added a strong 56 runs off 70 balls, while captain Shreyas Iyer performed a captain’s knock, scoring 54 off 44 balls. After a rocky start, their efforts steadied India D, and even though openers Atharva Taide and Yash Dubey were dismissed early on in the day, they were in a strong position at stumps.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s India C was bowled out for 168 runs, mostly because of two outstanding bowling performances: 4/33 from Harshit Rana and 2/46 from Axar Patel. But Vijaykumar Vyshak struck twice early in India D’s innings, sending Taide and Dubey back to the pavilion, and putting instant pressure on the team.
Then Iyer and Padikkal took over, their calm batting stabilizing the innings. Iyer’s forceful strategy and Padikkal’s constant pressure made sure India D took back control. Ricky Bhui, who scored a solid 44 off 91 balls, maintained the pace even after Iyer was out. But rapid dismissals, including ducks for Saransh Jain and Arshdeep Singh, put India D’s innings in a difficult patch.
With Harshit Rana and the highly effective Axar Patel remaining at the crease, India D had established a significant lead at stumps on Day 2. After laying a strong foundation, India D is anticipated to build on it on Day 3, hoping to widen the gap and exert more pressure on India C. The third day seems crucial as India D tries to take advantage of their advantage.
