Shashwat’s heroics help India A lift maiden Duleep Trophy title

Anantpur [India], : A fine century by Shashwat Rawat and brilliant bowling spells from Tanush Kotian and Prasidh Krishna helped India A secure their first Duleep Trophy title with a win over India C on Sunday in Anantpur.

Anshul Kambhoj of India C was given the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award for taking 16 wickets in the competition.

India C won the toss and elected to field first. India A was reduced to 36/5, but a 87-run partnership between Shashwat Rawat and Shams Mulani and a 90-run partnership between Shaswat and Avesh Khan helped lift India A from troubled waters. The lower order showed immense resilience, with Avesh and Prasidh taking the team to 297 runs.

Vijaykumar Vyshak and Anshul Kamboj were the top bowlers for India C. Gaurav Yadav also took two wickets.

India C was reduced to 41/4 in their bid to overcome India A’s total. However, a partnership of 95 runs between Baba Indrajith and Abishek Porel stabilised the innings. Another fine partnership of 58 runs by lower order batters Pulkit Narang and Kambhoj took India C to 234, but they trailed by 63 runs.

Aaqib Khan and Avesh were the pick of the bowlers for India A. Mulani got two scalps while Kotian got one.

India A once again faced a dodgy start and was reduced to 94/3 despite skipper Mayank Agarwal’s 34 in 60 balls, with two fours. A century partnership between half-centurions Riyan Parag and Shaswat and useful knocks from wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra and Mulani , took India A to 286/8 before they declared the innings, setting a target of 350 runs for India C.

Gaurav Yadav was the pick of the bowlers for India C, with 4/68. Kambhoj and Manav Suthar got two wickets each.

In the run-chase, besides a 76-run partnership for second wicket between skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sai Sudharsan, other batters could barely stay at the crease. Sudarshan made a valiant century, scoring 111 in 206 balls with 12 fours, but India C was bundled out for 217 runs, losing by 132 runs.

Kotian and Krishna were the standout bowlers for India A. Aaqib got two wickets while Mulani got two wickets.

Shashwat secured the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his knocks of 124 and 53.

-India D beat India B by 257 runs

In the other match, fine batting displays in both innings by Ricky Bhui and a six-wicket haul by left-armer Arshdeep Singh helped India D secure a win over India B by 257 runs.

India B won the toss and elected to field first. An opening partnership of 105 runs between Devdutt Padikkal and Srikar Bharat started off the proceedings. After the openers were dismissed quickly, partnership of 53 runs between Ricky Bhui and Nishant Sandhu and a brilliant century by Sanju Samson lifted India D to 349 runs.

Navdeep Saini and Rahul Chahar were the top bowlers for India B.

India B lost wickets regularly and was reduced to 100/5. But century from opener and skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran and fifty from all-rounder Washington Sundar lifted India B to 282 all out. They were trailing by 67 runs.

Saurabh Kumar took a five-wicket haul for India D. Arshdeep Singh and Aditya Thakare also impressed with the ball.

India D in their second innings lost their three wickets for 18 runs, but a partnership of 75 runs between Bhui and skipper Shreyas Iyer followed by Bhui’s partnerships with Samson and Akash Sengupta put India D at 305 runs. Bhui scored an unbeaten ton, making 119 in 124 balls with 15 fours and three sixes. India B was given 373 runs to chase.

Mukesh Kumar and Navdeep Saini were the top bowlers for India B.

In the run chase, India B did not look like a threat at all. Only Nitish Kumar Reddy and a six could play a decent knock as they were skittled out for 115 runs.

Arshdeep took 6/40 while Thakare took 4/59.

Bhui was given the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

India A finished at the top with two wins, one loss, and 12 points, while India C was second with a win, loss, and draw, giving them total of nine points. India B was at third spot with a win, loss and a draw, giving them seven points and India D sat at the bottom with a win and two draws, giving them just six points.

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