The New Indian Express ·
Sport
Duleep Trophy: Ishan Kishan's 270 takes East to 708 as Siraj goes wicketless
CHENNAI: A magnificent double century (270) by Ishan Kishan took East Zone to 708 in 163 overs against South Zone on the second day of the Duleep Trophy final played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Monday.
Ishan dominated the proceedings with his resolute defence and calculated assault. He treated all the South bowlers with scant respect and was never troubled for a moment while compiling his second double century in first-class cricket. Meanwhile, Kumar Kushagra's punishing century was like rubbing salt in the wounds of the hapless South bowlers.
Kishan was resolute, sound in his defence and used the pace of the ball to a nicety. He once cover-drove a distraught Mohammed Siraj with excellent timing and placement. It was a disappointing show by Siraj. He had no backup plan and looked lost in thought most of the time. Apart from bowling wrong lines, Siraj gave room for Ishan to play his shots. Shreyas Gopal, the most experienced spinner in the South ranks, also failed to use the conditions.
Kishan, after crossing the 250-mark, had to walk off the field due to cramps. He later came back again to bat in the final hour before eventually getting out. While Kishan stole the show, Kumar at the other end lent solid support. He once went to the pitch of the ball, picked the length early and carted Gopal in the covers for an attractive boundary, showing his sense of timing. A few balls later, he pulled Shreyas to the mid-wicket fence to showcase his array of shots and move into the 90s. A single off Gopal ringed his century. However, immediately after, he played a loose shot to be caught in the deep. By then, Kumar, along with his skipper, had added 230 runs for the fifth wicket.
Meanwhile, it was another fruitless day for the India spearhead. In Sri Lanka too, Siraj was not at his best and looked average. Siraj bowled 25 overs and gave away 140 runs and went wicketless in the first innings. “When a wicket is not helping fast bowlers, the key is to have patience and bowl wicket to wicket. You need to maintain the lengths and ensure you don't bowl short,” said a renowned fast bowling coach, who did not want to be named. “Their (South Zone) only strategy with the new ball to get a wicket was, at times, to bowl short. You have to bowl one line. For example, if the wicket is not doing anything, it should have been 4th, 5th half-stump or 3rd to 6th half-stump. Consistently bowl that line, keep a 7-2 or 6-3 field and keep bowling there. That's where you can, you know, one wild shot outside off-stump chasing the ball or something like that could get caught behind or at slip. That they didn't do, you know,'' explained the noted coach.
With three days left, South Zone have an arduous task ahead to outbat East and get a lead. For that is likely the only way for them to get their hands on the trophy.
Brief scores: East Zone 708 in 163 ovs (A Easwaran 72, Vaibhav S 44, S Mohan 85, Ishan Kishan 270, Kumar Kushagra 101, Ankul Roy 45, Kounan Q 40, Md Shami 28, T Vijay 4/180) vs South Zone.
