The third match in the second round of Duleep Trophy 2024 was played between India A and India D in Anantapur, where India D was all out for 301 runs while chasing a target of 488 runs. In this way, India A registered a spectacular victory by 186 runs. India D has faced defeat in the second consecutive match under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. At the same time, India A registered its first victory under the captaincy of Mayank Agarwal.

Talking about the match, batting was a bit difficult on the first two days and Mayank Agarwal’s side lost five wickets in the first session. However, thanks to the partnership between Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian, India A scored 290 runs in the first innings. Kotian scored 53 runs in 80 balls with the help of 6 fours and a six, while Shams Mulani scored 89 runs in 187 balls with the help of 8 fours and 3 sixes.

In response, India D faltered and apart from Devdutt Padikkal (92), none of their batsmen could score. Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson got out playing hasty shots.

In the second innings, the pitch was flat and Pratham Singh and Tilak Verma batted brilliantly and scored centuries, while Shashwat Rawat scored a brilliant half-century. Pratham Singh scored 122 runs in 189 balls with the help of 12 fours and a six, while Tilak Verma scored 111* in 193 balls and Shashwat Rawat scored an unbeaten 64 runs in 88 balls. India-A declared the innings at a score of 380 after the 98th over.

Ricky Bhui’s century went in vain

While chasing the target of 488 runs, India D once again faltered. Atharva Tayde got out cheaply. Yash Dubey and Ricky Bhui handled the innings to some extent. After Dubey’s dismissal, things did not go in favor of India D. Wickets kept falling from one end, while Ricky Bhui stood firm from the other end. He played an innings of 113 runs with the help of 14 fours and 3 sixes in 195 balls, but he could not lead the team to victory. With this defeat, India D is out of the race for the trophy, as it has now lost two out of two matches. On the other hand, India A has made a great comeback after losing against India B.

Shreyas Iyer expressed disappointment

Shreyas looked very disappointed after the match. After the match, he said, we were on the right track from the first ball. We took four wickets, but Shams and Kotian performed brilliantly. A partnership of more than 120 took away the momentum from us. And when we came, we lost wickets. We were trailing since then. The balls were moving and the batsmen were struggling. The way their batsmen batted in the second innings was fantastic. Scoring 488 runs is not an easy task. We were calculating how to achieve it. Anyway, this is a learning experience. We expect good competition in the next match.