Duleep trophy: Pratam, Agarwal give India A solid start

Half-centuries by skipper Mayank Agarwal and Pratam Singh helped India A reach 115 for one in their second innings and extend their hold over India D after second day’s play of the Duleep Trophy here on Friday.

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India A, who made 290 in their first innings, earlier bowled out their opponents for 183 despite India batter Devdutt Padikkal’s valiant 92 to gain a lead of 107 runs.

Now, India A have an advantage of 222 runs, with Agarwal (56, 87b, 8x4) and Pratham (59 batting, 82b, 6x4) leading their run glut in the second innings.

However, Agarwal, who is eager to chart his way back into selectorial reckoning, will be kicking himself for falling on the last ball of the day to part-time spinner Shreyas Iyer, spooning a simple return catch. But till that point, Agarwal and Pratam played fluently and executed some fluent drives and cuts as the run-rate never came under four.

However, that’s just one part of India A’s story of domination on the day as earlier pacers Khaleel Ahmed and Aaqib Khan bagged three wickets apiece to rattle the India D line-up.

Only one of their batters defied the constant challenge of judgement – Devdutt who stroked his way to a 124-ball 92 with 15 hits to the ropes. The Karnataka left-hander who made his Test debut earlier this year against England was particularly harsh on any offering on his pads or away from the off-stump.

A century was there for his taking, but the 24-year-old fell just eight runs shy as his attempt to play a shot on the up off state-mate Prasidh Krishna ended up in a simple catch to stumper Kumar Kushagra.

India C post mammoth 525

India B openers Abhimanyu Easwaran and Narayan Jagadeesan made a confident start with an unbroken partnership of 124 after India C posted a mammoth first-innings total of 525 in their Duleep Trophy match here on Friday. At stumps on the second day of the match, Easwaran and Jagadeesan were batting on 51 and 67 respectively, having crossed the team 50 within 15 overs.