East Zone stormed into the Duleep Trophy semi-finals with an innings-and-210-run victory over North East Zone, while North Zone seized control late on Day 3 against West Zone after a dramatic collapse left the chase finely poised.
NEW DELHI, India — East Zone completed a dominant Duleep Trophy quarter-final victory after dismissing North East Zone for 146 in their second innings, securing an innings-and-210-run win. Anukul Roy claimed five wickets, while Shahbaz Ahmed followed his career-best 167 with four wickets in the match to earn Player of the Match honours.
Key Highlights
- East Zone defeated North East Zone by an innings and 210 runs after restricting them to 111 and 146.
- Anukul Roy took 5-37, completing his seventh five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
- Shahbaz Ahmed scored a career-best 167 and collected four wickets across the match.
- Ishan Kishan took four catches and completed a stumping for East Zone.
- North Zone ended Day 3 against West Zone with a 67-run lead and three wickets remaining.
East Zone Complete Comprehensive Quarter-Final Win
North East Zone resumed their second innings at 7/0, still 349 runs behind East Zone’s first-innings total. Their resistance lasted longer than in the first innings, but they were eventually bowled out for 146.
Pheiroijam Jotin offered the strongest resistance with 39 from 75 balls from No.7. Akash Choudhary added 27 from 50 balls, helping North East Zone extend their innings after they had slipped to 90/8 by the 35th over.
Anukul Roy Leads East Zone’s Spin Attack
Anukul Roy repeatedly broke through the North East Zone batting order to finish with 5-37. The performance gave him his seventh five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
East Zone’s three left-arm spinners combined to take eight wickets. Shahbaz Ahmed dismissed opener Joseph Lalthankhuma, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi claimed two wickets in the same over by removing Kishan Lyngdoh and Imliwati Lemtur.
Captain Ishan Kishan also played a major role behind the stumps, taking four catches and completing a stumping.
Shahbaz Ahmed Completes Dream Match
Shahbaz was named Player of the Match after producing a career-best 167 and taking four wickets during the game. His all-round contribution underlined East Zone’s control throughout the quarter-final.
Brief score: East Zone 467 beat North East Zone 111 & 146 (Pheiroijam Jotin 39, Akash Choudhary 27; Anukul Roy 5-37, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 2-11) by an innings and 210 runs.
North Zone Turn the Game Around Late
The other quarter-final between North Zone and West Zone produced a dramatic finish to Day 3. West Zone ended the day on 220/7 in their chase of 288, leaving them 67 runs short with three wickets still available.
Musheer Khan and Ruturaj Gaikwad had appeared to put West Zone firmly on course after building a 111-run partnership. Gaikwad reached 66 before being run out while attempting a quick single, an unusual dismissal for him in first-class cricket.
Musheer’s 96 Ends Just Short of a Century
Musheer Khan fell for 96 less than three overs after Gaikwad’s dismissal. He had attacked the pace bowlers through the leg side and used his feet effectively against spin, but a sweep attempt ultimately produced the edge that ended his innings.
The double blow changed the momentum. West Zone then lost two more wickets as the pitch continued to offer significant turn and variable bounce.
Abid Mushtaq Provides North Zone’s Late Breakthrough
Abid Mushtaq, who had remained wicketless until the late passage, struck twice by dismissing Shams Mulani and Mukesh Choudhary. His ability to extract turn added further pressure to West Zone’s lower order.
Urvil Patel remained unbeaten at the close, with Shardul Thakur and Tanush Kotian still to bat, while Tushar Deshpande was also available in the lower order.
North Zone Recover After Middle-Order Slide
North Zone had earlier been reduced to 158/7 after starting the day at 107/4. Ayush Badoni’s 50 and Nishant Sindhu’s 44 helped them recover and post 222 in their second innings.
Anshul Kamboj added valuable runs with three sixes. For West Zone, Tanush Kotian and Shams Mulani exploited the turning surface and shared eight wickets.
Brief score: North Zone 251 & 222 (Ayush Badoni 50, Nishant Sindhu 44; Tanush Kotian 4-48, Shams Mulani 4-78) lead by 67 runs with three wickets needed vs West Zone 187 & 220/7 (Musheer Khan 96, Ruturaj Gaikwad 66; Abid Mushtaq 2-56, Sunil Kumar 1-23).
What to Watch on the Final Morning
West Zone need 67 more runs with three wickets in hand, putting the final phase of the quarter-final under pressure. Urvil Patel’s presence gives them a chance to finish the chase, but North Zone’s spinners have already shifted the contest in their favour.
Praveen Yadav is the Founder and Editor at The Nation Bulletin. With over 3 years of experience in digital journalism and news reporting, he covers national affairs, governance, and breaking current events with a commitment to factual accuracy and verified reporting.
