Tilak Varma's unbeaten half-century carried South Zone into the Duleep Trophy final after they chased down North Zone's target of 181 runs at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. The captain led by example, scoring 116 not out in the first innings before finishing unbeaten on 51 as South registered a comfortable seven-wicket win.
Notably, India’s T20I vice-captain came to the crease at No. 4 after South lost two wickets shortly before lunch and joined R Smaran with the side needing to recover in the chase. The pair then added an unbroken 80 runs to take South through to the final. Smaran played the perfect role of a second fiddle, scoring unbeaten 31 as he was very good in regularly rotating the strike against the spin attack.
In the meantime, Tilak survived a close LBW appeal from left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq with his first delivery. He then batted cautiously before opening up once the target was reduced to below 50, using a wider range of strokes to finish the chase.
North struggled to make impression with bat
South's progress came after North struggled to protect a lead built during the second innings. North had reached 175 for two, with Sanat Sangwan scoring a half-century, but their position changed rapidly when MD Nidheesh and leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal struck in the second session. They lost five wickets for 34 runs before Anshul Kamboj and Nishant Sindhu stopped the slide. The pair added 60 for the eighth wicket, giving North a lead of 180.
South began their chase strongly through Ricky Bhui and N Jagadeesan, who put together 64 for the opening wicket. Two wickets then fell within eight deliveries, putting pressure back on the side. Shaik Rasheed endured a difficult match, following his first-innings duck with a score of one in the second innings. Tilak and Smaran then steadied South and completed the win.
Notably, Nidheesh was central to South's turnaround with the ball, claiming five wickets for 56 runs. His haul included all three North wickets to fall early on Wednesday and gave him his 10th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Meanwhile, the foundation for South's position had been laid earlier by Vidwath Kaverappa, who took four wickets on the opening day as North were dismissed for 195.
South will now face Ishan Kishan's East Zone in the Duleep Trophy final, beginning September 6 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
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