India Red extended their lead to 371 runs and have three wickets in hand at the end of Day 3 after MS Washington Sundar and Vijay Gohil bowled India Blue out for 299. The spin duo claimed five wickets each to bowl their team to a 118-run first innings lead. Although they lost wickets at regular intervals in their second innings, Sundar (42*) held the innings together and took the team to stumps at 187 for seven with Siddharth Kaul (5*).
Earlier, A Eswaran resumed India Blue’s first innings on 181 for five with Jaydev Unadkat on the third morning. The opener brought up his century as they worked to build the innings. However, a diving one-handed catch by Ishank Jaggi off Sundar sent back Eswaran for 127. After 27 runs, Unadkat departed taking the aerial route to the spinner after posting well compiled half-century leaving the team on 290 for seven. Later in the over, the bowler claimed Bhargav Bhatt to complete his maiden five-for in first-class cricket. In the process, he also became the youngest to do the double of fifty and five wickets in an innings in the Duleep Trophy.
Vijay Gohli then claimed the last two wickets to complete his five-for and wrap-up the India Blue innings for 299 in the first session.
Prithvi Shaw and Akhil Herwadkar took India Red to Tea at 15 without loss, but the latter was dismissed in the first over of the second session by Akshay Wakhare. With spinners getting purchase from the wicket, the Bhatt and Wakhare duo wrecked the India Red lineup.
Nine runs later, Jaggi edged Bhatt to the slips and returned for three runs. And few overs later, the opener was run out as Ishant Sharma slammed a throw into the striker’s end. Wakhare then followed up with the wicket off to leave the team struggling on 58 for four.
With India Red losing wickets in a hurry, Sundar joined Baba Indrajith in rebuilding the innings. The duo took the team to Dinner at 99 for four. Their blossoming partnership was ended for 77 by Unadkat. After posting his half-century, Indrajit departed dragging the ball onto the stumps.
Sundar once again dropped anchor as he looked to shape the innings, but continued to lose partners at regular intervals. Bhatt accounted for Suryakumar Yadav and Gohil to leave India Red on 168 for seven. With Kaul, Sundar then saw the team through to the end of day’s play in an unbroken 19-run stand.
Scores: End of Day 1 – India Red 1st inn 317/5 in 83.3 overs (P Shaw 154, D Karthik 111, I Jaggi 9*, B Bhatt 3/83)
End of Day 2 – India Red 1st inn 483/10 in 127.2 overs (MSW Sundar 88, A Wakhare 3/95, B Bhatt 4/154); India Blue 1st inn 181/5 in 45 overs (A Eswaran 87*, J Unadkat 27*, V Gohil 3/65, MS W Sundar 2/55) Trail by 302 runs
End of Day 3 – India Blue 1st inn 299/10 in 67 overs (A Eswaran 127, J Unadkat 83, , MS W Sundar 5/94, V Gohil 5/121); India Red 2nd inn 187/7 in 62 overs (B Indrajith 59, MSW Sundar 42*, S Kaul 5*, B Bhatt 3/75, A Wakhare 2/53) Lead by 371 runs.
