Duleep Trophy
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2023
South Zone tops, West Zone 2nd
Manuja Veerappa, July 17, 2023: The Times of India
Bengaluru: At the start of the Duleep Trophy, the focus was on batters who were either knocking on the doors of the Indian team or looking to make their way back. But it was the bowlers who stole the spotlight, giving national selectors in attendance plenty to ponder.
On a pleasant Sunday morning, Hanuma Vihari-led South Zone stormed to a 75-run win over West Zone at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. Defending champions West needed 116 runs on the final morning to retain the title, while South needed five wickets to claim their 14th trophy in the competition.
It took the home team 113 minutes and 21. 4 overs to work through West’s middle and lower order. The Karnataka pace trio of Vidwath Kaverappa, V Koushik and Vyshak Vijaykumar again turned in a stellar performance, picking up 16 of the 20 wickets, while left-arm spinner Sai Kishore claimed the remaining four.
West’s title hopes hinged on skipper Priyank Panchal (95). But the end was a bit of an anti-climax to the defiance he showed on Day 4. Kaverappa, who with 15 wickets in the series was named man of the match and tournament, secured the breakthrough. He got Panchal to poke at one, and the thick edge flew to Ricky Bhui behind the stumps.
Panchal later admitted he misjudged the delivery. “I thought the ball would reverse but it was a straight one,” he said. “I should have watched the ball closely for another 3-4 overs before playing that shot. ”
Koushik and Kaverappa then kept Atit Sheth and Shams Mulani on a tight leash. The pressure told when Mulani edged to Vihari at first slip, but the South skipper grassed the offering. It didn’t matter much though as Mayank Agarwal snapped up a leading edge from Mulani off Koushik’s bowling.
Dharmendrasinh Jadeja eventually took West past the 200-mark, but Kishore proved his nemesis. After being hit for a boundary, Kishore went around the wicket to the left-hander, who found Washington Sundar at long-off. Kishore then hastened West’s end, although he was helped by some careless shots from the batters.
Chintan Gaja put South one wicket away from victory when he pulled Koushik to midwicket, and Kishore then completed the formalities in his next over by dismissing Sheth.
SCORES: South 213 & 230 bt West 146 & 222 all out in 84. 2 overs (Priyank Panchal 95, Sarfaraz Khan 48; V Koushik 4-36, Sai Kishore 4-57).
