Debang Gandhi helps
East to big score
A superb 125 by opener Debang Gandhi helped East Zone pile 341 runs for the loss
of five wickets in their first innings against South Zone in the Duleep Trophy league match, which began at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Tuesday.
Put in to bat by South, who won the toss, the East Zone
opening pair of Gandhi and Parag Das (78) laid a solid foundation
for the side by putting on 127 runs.
Gandhi made the South Zone bowlers sweat, hitting 19 fours
and a lofted six in his 190-ball knock which lasted 293 minutes.
East lost the wicket of Parag Das, at 127, who was clean
bowled by Watekar, but Gandhi played with responsibility and
pushed the score to 209 at which the side lost Rashmi Ranjan
Parida.
Sanjay Raul (10), who joined Gandhi, could not stay at
the crease for long and was caught neatly at silly point by
Kiran Pawar off S Sriram.
Gandhi was finally dismissed off a Watekar delivery when
he was caught by U Bhardhwaj in the mid-off region.
Watekar claimed his third wicket when he trapped
Subhomoy Das (20) leg before.
Rajeev Kuamr (35 ) and Z Zufri (16) were at the crease at
close of play.
Central Zone survives early scare, Bundela eyeing ton
A fine unbeaten 98 by last-minute inclusion Devendra Bundela placed Central Zone in a
comfortable position at 339 for eight on the opening day of
the four-day Duleep Trophy match against North Zone at Indore.
At draw of stumps, Bundela (98) and Sanjay Pande (10)
were at the crease.
Electing to bat, Central Zone suffered a blow early in
the day when skipper Gagan Khoda was bowled by Vineet Sharma
for a duck in the very first over of the match. In the third
over, Sharma again struck and claimed Paresh Sutane's (9)
wicket.
Sarandeep Singh then claimed the wicket of Yere Goud (2)
to have Central zone struggling at 38 for three.
However, the 111-run fourth wicket partnership between
Jyoti Yadav (80, 4x12, 1x6) and J P Yadav (68, 4x10, 2x6)
saved the day for Central Zone.
Bundela's inclusion in the team, in place of Tejinderpal
Singh, paid rich dividends. His 98-run knock included 18
boundaries and a six.
Bundela and Harvinder Singh (31) added 86 runs for the
seventh wicket.
For North Zone, Sarandeep Singh claimed four wickets
while conceding 142 runs while Rahul Sanghvi and Mithun Minhas
claimed a wicket each.
Mail Cricket Editor
