Bowlers help North seize initiative

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North Zone have all but secured the Duleep Trophy semi-final berth after West Zone’s competent-looking batting line-up crumbled against Ishant Sharma’s accuracy and speed in their first innings on the penultimate day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Monday.

In reply to North’s total of 484, an abject West could only muster 164 and in turn handing over a massive 320-run lead.

North, understandably not wanting to overwork their bowlers, decided against the follow on. At stumps, North were 30 for no loss in 14 overs.

Ishant was on the button from the onset returning with figures of 4 for 29. While the margin for error was minimal against Ishant, West Zone batsmen’s listlessness was at its peak – a surefire recipe for disaster.

The gangly Indian speedster, who struck with his first delivery of the day when he had opener Kaustubh Pawar playing on, went on to pick a wicket from each of his first three spells that ensured the opponent’s downfall.

The Delhi cricketer’s next scalp – Cheteshwar Pujara — was the most significant of the lot. After sending down the first two deliveries that left Pujara, Ishant cannily brought the next one in to trap the right-hander.

Later, Bhushan Chauhan (35) was undone by Ishant’s fiery pace to become his fourth victim.

Amongst the rubbles, wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel (51, 106b, 8x4) was the only batsman to show some resistance.

However, he too perished when he played an uppish on-drive straight into the hands of Rahul Dewan at short midwicket.

Resuming their innings at 148 for seven in the final session, North’s lower-order could only add 16 more runs before their innings folded.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, who looked out of sorts for most part of the day, resurrected his figures by cleaning up the tail.

Barring Ishant it was, however, not a pristine bowling effort by the North unit, considering the 24 extras that they managed to leak.

Twenty of them were given away through no-balls of which Amit Mishra, being the main culprit, over-stepped on a dozen occasions.

West skipper Shikhar Dhawan, who is at the crease with Rahul Dewan, said that his team would look to bat till tea before he mulls to declare the innings.

“We are aware of our slow over-rate and hence would like to make it up in the second innings. I do not wish to get fined and sit out in the next match,” said the first-innings centurion.

SCORECARD

North Zone (1st innings): 484.
West Zone (1st innings): K. Pawar b Ishant 4, A. Rahane c Saini b Ishant 0, M. Vahora b Rishi 8, B. Chauhan lbw b Ishant 35, C. Pujara lbw b Ishant 11, P. Patel c Dewan b Rishi 51, A. Nayar c Dogra b Mishra 4, K. Jadhav st Saini b Mishra 11, K. Makwana (not out) 9, Harmeet c Dogra b Mishra 0, S. Fallah c Shikhar b Vikas 7. Extras (b2, lb2, nb20) 24. Total (in 70.4 overs) 164.
FoW: 1-5, 2-6, 3-27, 4-40, 5-112, 6-128, 7-140, 8-152, 9-154.
Bowling: Ishant 17-6-29-4; Awana 11-3-25-0; Rishi 13-1-41-2; Vikas 12.4-2-24-1; Mishra 17-4-41-3.
North Zone (2nd innings): R. Dewan (batting) 20, S. Dhawan (batting) 8. Extras (lb2) 2. Total (for no loss in 14 overs) 30.
Bowling: Fallah 5-1-8-0; Vahora 4-1-15-0; Nayar 3-1-3-0; Makwana 2-0-2-0.