Former India skipper Rahul Dravid hit a dazzling hundred but could not save South Zone from a 23-run defeat against East Zone in a Deodhar Trophy cricket match in Hyderabad on Friday.
Electing to bat, East Zone posted a challenging total of 274 for 5 in stipulated 50 overs. In reply, South Zone were all out for 251 in 48.3 overs.
Dravid was the lone bright spot for South Zone in their defeat. The middle order batsman, who came to the crease after the fall of opener Dinesh Karthick (3), scored 139 runs off 138 balls with the help of 13 boundaries and a six.
Dravid and Arjun Yadav (42) held the innings together for some time with a 83-run stand between them after South Zone struggled at 89 for three.
But, Yadav's dismissal proved too costly as rest of the South Zone batsmen fell cheaply to leave Dravid helpless.
The other blow for South Zone was VVS Laxman's injury which prevented the batsman from coming out for batting.
Laxman was injured while fielding.
For East Zone, Paceman Dhiraj Goswami was the pick of the bowlers. He accounted for three batsmen, giving away 42 runs, while Ranadeb Bose chipped in with two wickets.
Earlier, skipper Laxmi Ratan Shukla's (73) scintillating half-century powered East Zone past the 270 mark.
Shukla hit five sixes in his 66-ball knock and stitched a 101-run partnership with S Tiwary (73) for the fifth wicket.
Prasanta Saha contributed 21 runs lower down the order and helped build an unbeaten 58-run sixth-wicket partnership with his skipper.
R Vinay Kumar was the most successful bowler for South Zone, claiming three wickets.
