Central Zone dominates North East Zone while North Zone asserts dominance over the East Zone in the Duleep Trophy at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground. Central Zone posted a massive 532/4 decelred with Dainsh Malewar scoring 203 and Rajat Patidar 125, while Adthiya Thakare (3/23) and Harsh Dubey (2/19) kept North East Zone under pressure. By stumps on Day 2, the North East Zone were 168/7, trailing by 364 runs.
Malewar and Patidar Set the Tone
The match's turning point came through the extraordinary partnership of Danish Malewar and Rajat Patidar. Malewar exhibited remarkable composure and technique to score a career best 203 before retiring out, while Patidar countered with a fluent and aggressive 125 off 96 balls. Together, 56 boundaries dismantled the North Zone's bowling attack, enabling the Central Zone to declare at an imposing 532/4.
This Partnership came after Aryan Juyal retired hurt, and the duo added 199 brisk runs for the next wicket, effectively seizing control of the match. Their contrasting styles, Malewar's patience and precision, Patidar's attacking flair, made Central Zone's innings unassailable and set a daunting target for Northeast Zone.
North East Zone's Day 2 Struggles
Resuming on Day 2, the North East Zone faced a monumental deficit of 515 runs at the start of the session. Early Wickets fell quickly, with the Openers Karanjit Yumnan (48) and Techi Doria (20) departing in quick succession, leaving the score at 75/2. The middle order pair of Jehu Anderson and Ashish Thapa tried to stabilize the innings, adding 43 runs for the Third wicket and briefly taking the total to 128/3.
However, Central Zone's blowers quickly regained control. Aditya Thakare (3/23) and Harsh Dubey (2/19) struck at key moments, removing crucial middle-order and lower-order batters. By stumps, the North East Zone was 136/7, still trailing by 364 runs. With wickets failing at regular intervals, the North East Zone's fight back was minimal. The match was heavily favored by the Central Zone going into Day 3.
Central Zone in Command
From the start of the tournament, the Central Zone has combined explosive batting with disciplined bowling. Malewar's double hundred and Patidar's century have provided the platform, while Tharke and Dubey's timely strikes ensured the North East Zone remained under immense pressure. The commanding lead of 364 runs going into the next day makes the Central Zone the clear favorites to secure a spot in the next round.
If the batting order fires again and the bowlers maintain their consistency, Central Zone could wrap up the match early. For the North East Zone, it will take a near-perfect performance in both batting and bowling to mount a comeback from such a massive deficit.