Duleep Trophy: Pant fireworks give India B slight edge

The audacity of Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan helped India B waddle past persistent India A pacers to post a momentum grabbing second innings total of 150/6 after Day 3 of the Duleep Trophy match here today.

India B are now ahead by 240 runs with Washington Sundar (6) at the crease after bowling out their rivals for 231 in their first innings to take a 90-run lead. Pant was the headliner of the day with a 61 off 47 balls.

But that lead suddenly looked so feeble when pacers Khaleel Ahmed (2/56) and Akash Deep (2/36) combined to reduce India B to 22/3 inside eight overs.

Suthar stars for India C

Anantapur: Taking up from where he left off in the first innings, young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar grabbed seven wickets to engineer India D’s batting collapse and fashion a four-wicket win for India C.

Chasing 232 on Day 3, the India C top-order got the job done with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (36), Aryan Juyal (47) and Rajat Patidar (44) playing vital knocks.

Brief scores: India D: 164 & 236 (Padikkal 56, Shreyas 54; Suthar 7/49) vs India C: 168 & 233/6 (Juyal 47, Patidar 44; Jain 4/92); India B: 321 & 150/6 (Pant 61, Sarfaraz 46; Akash 2/36, Khaleel 2/56) vs India A: 231 (Rahul 37, Kotian 32; Saini 3/60, Mukesh 3/62).