Cricket was drudgery for most part of the day at the Ekana Stadium here as India Red and India Blue looked to establish first-innings supremacy in the Duleep Trophy final on Tuesday. India Red, resuming at 317 for five, added 166 runs in 43.5 overs.
At close, India Blue was 181 for five, thanks to India Red spinners, Wasington Sundar and Vijay Gohil striking in tadem.
The first day’s play had recorded 31 stoppages without taking into consideration fall of wickets and drinks intervals. The trend did not alter on the second day as the players took their own sweet time and the slow over-rate stood out sorely for a contest of this level. The rhythm was also broken by the constant fogging exercises needed to contend the menace of insects under floodlights.
The faithful fans of domestic cricket were treated to some entertainment whenever Washington Sundar came on strike for India Red. He fell short of a hundred by 12 runs but not before slamming six fours and five sixes off the India Blue attack, which excelled in patches.
Washington’s progress in the last year or so has been impressive with the National selectors looking at him as a possible all-rounder in the shorter format. His run-scoring prowess arises from his wide range of shots and his fearless approach to exploit the field gives him a good advantage.
It was Washington’s charge that gave India Red the upper hand even as India Blue hit back through spinners Bhargav Bhatt and Akshay Wakhare.
The scores: India Red — 1st innings: Prithvi Shaw c Bharath b Bhatt 154, Akhil Herwadkar (run out) 25, Suryakumar Yadav c Raina b Bhatt 8, Dinesh Karthik lbw b Wakhare 111, B. Indrajith c Kishan b Bhatt 4, Ishank Jaggi c Bharat b Pankaj 47, Washington Sundar c Bhatt b Wakhare 88, Vijay Gohil c Kishan b Wakhare 29, Siddharth Kaul c Bharat b Unadkat 6, Ashok Dinda c Kishan b Bhatt 0, Basil Thampi (not out) 17, Extras (lb-9, nb-2) 11, Total (in 127.2 overs) 483.
Fall of wickets: 1-74, 2-89, 3-300, 4-306, 5-317, 6-354, 7-402, 8-439, 9-440.
India Blue bowling: Ishant Sharma 14-2-62-0, Pankaj Singh 15-0-53-1, Akshay Wakhare 28.2-0-95-3, Bhargav Bhatt 42-4-154-4, Suresh Raina 7-0-27-0, Jaydev Unadkat 12-0-55-1, Deepak Hooda 7-1-21-0, Manoj Tiwary 2-1-7-0.
India Blue — 1st innings: Abhimanyu Easwaran (batting) 87, K. S. Bharat b Gohil 8, Manoj Tiwary c Karthik b Gohil 25, Suresh Raina st Karthik b Sundar 1, Deepak Hooda c Kaul b Gohil 12, Ishaan Kishan lbw b Sundar 0, Jaydev Unadkat (batting) 27, Extras (b-9, lb-7, pen 5) 21, Total (for five wkts in 45 overs) 181.
Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-93, 3-94, 4-121, 5-123
India Red bowling: Gohil 21-2-65-3, Kaul 3-0-10-0, Washington 15-1-55-2, Herwadkar 3-0-22-0, Thampi 2-0-3-0, Dinda 1-0-5-0.
