New Delhi: Coming into the third and final round, India A were mere contenders to lift the Duleep Trophy 2024. On Sunday, nonetheless, the Mayank Agarwal-led side emerged as champions of the red-ball tournament after overhauling India C by 132 runs in a nail-biting contest played at the Rural Development Trust Stadium in Anantpur.
The match between India A and India C turned out to be a virtual final after India D thrashed India B by 257 runs in another match of the final round. This was a huge development in the title race to Duleep Trophy 2024 as India C and India B led the charts until Saturday.
Shashwat Rawat’s brilliance with the bat, notching up hundred and a fifty (124 and 53), coupled with Riyan Parag’s half-century in the second innings helped India A set India C a target of 350. Not forget Avesh Khan’s gritty fifty in the first innings, providing impetus for India A.
That Winning Feeling! 🤗
India A captain Mayank Agarwal receives the coveted #DuleepTrophy 🏆
The celebrations begin 🎉@IDFCFIRSTBank
Scorecard ▶️: https://t.co/QkxvrUmPs1 pic.twitter.com/BH9H6lJa8w
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 22, 2024
After a 77-run stand between captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and B Sai Sudharshan was broken by young India A pacer Aaqib Khan, wickets kept tumbling for India C with the likes of Rajat Patidar, Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Porel returned to the dressing room with low scores.
Prasidh Krishna pulls back things for India A
For India C, it wasn’t about chasing the target but enforcing a draw in this game. to win the Duleep Trophy. And the team had to bat for the whole part of the day. Barring Sai Sudharshan’s resistance, no other India A batter understood what was at the stake for them.
Sai Sudharsan scored his fourth first-class century and grinded for most part of the day. He had to ensure he was there till the end when India C needed four wickets in the final over. Shams Mulani got Manav Suthar out with a flighted-tossed-up delivery for Mayank Agarwal to take a comfortable catch near mid-off.
Prasidh Krishna came in to bowl the spell in the final overs. He didn’t took much time to bowl a short pitched delivery, inducing the top edge of Sudharsan’s bat, flying long in the air before falling in the hands of a diving Tanush Kotian near the backward square leg.
Top order batter Baba Indrajith, who was stretchered in the first innings owning to a hamstring issue, walked in to bat with the mindset of saving the match, and eventually the title. However, the Tamil Nadu batter’s valiant efforts didn’t pay any dividends as he was dismissed for a two-ball duck. He was caught by a brilliant catch by Tilak Varma in the short leg position off Prasidh Krishna’s delivery.
Just one wicket left to go, Anshul Kamboj and Gaurav Yadav had a task to defend solidly. After the duo played 14 balls, including 13 dot balls, to push the match deeper, Prasidh bowled a tad low ball to dismiss Kamboj for leg-before-wicket as celebrations ensued in the India A dugout.
What a match. What a fight. What a win! 👌👌
The celebrations say it all 🔥🔥#DuleepTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Follow the match ▶️: https://t.co/QkxvrUnnhz pic.twitter.com/QpYoq2qYB7
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 22, 2024
Duleep Trophy 2024 Points Table
Position
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Draw
Points
1
India A
3
2
1
0
12
2
India C
3
1
1
1
9
3
India B
3
1
1
1
7
4
India D
3
1
2
0
6
The match between India A and India C turned out to be a virtual final after India D thrashed India B by 257 runs in another match of the final round. This was a huge development in the title race to Duleep Trophy 2024 as India C and India B led the charts until Saturday. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
