Central Zone clinches Duleep Trophy with a margin over South Zone
Central Zone secured its first Duleep Trophy title since the 2014-15 season, defeating South Zone by six wickets on the final day of the summit clash at the BCCI CoE Ground. Chasing a modest target of 65 runs for victory, Central Zone navigated a few early hiccups to comfortably reach the target in the morning session, ending the final with a dominant performance.
Central Zone's triumph was built on a commanding first-innings total of 511, a score that put them in the driver's seat for the majority of the match. The turning point of the game, however, was South Zone's abysmal first-innings batting performance, where they were bowled out for a paltry 149 on a pitch that was favorable for batters. South Zone coach L. Balaji later admitted that some of the shots played by his young batting unit were "a little bit unnecessary," but expressed confidence that they would "definitely learn from this."
The spin duo of Saransh Jain and Kumar Kartikeya, who have a history of playing together for Madhya Pradesh, claimed 16 wickets between them in the final, proving "very difficult to play on this pitch," according to Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar. Patidar's decision to bowl first on a dry wicket proved to be a masterstroke, as it set the stage for the spinners to dominate.
Saransh Jain's exceptional all-round performance earned him the 'Player of the Series' award. He finished as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets and also contributed two crucial half-centuries with the bat. "It is a very important series for me, because it helps prepare for all the upcoming tournaments," Jain said, expressing his desire to carry the momentum forward. He also noted the significance of the tournament for national selection, stating, "All the selectors are here. So, my aim is to give my best. The rest is up to the selectors."
For South Zone, the loss will be a tough one to swallow, especially given their first-innings collapse. Coach Balaji acknowledged that a higher score in either of the first two innings would have made the final day a much more competitive contest. Despite the loss, Balaji praised the performance of young batter Andre Siddarth, who scored an unbeaten 84 in the second innings and formed a crucial 192-run partnership, calling it a "solid knock." Balaji believes the experience gained from the final will be invaluable for his young team.
