India Red were leading by 185 runs as Priyank Panchal and Rahul Gahlaut took the team to Stumps at 19 for one in the second innings. As many as 16 wickets fell on Day 2 of Duleep Trophy match between India Red and India Green as spinners dominated in the day/night game. K Gowtham (5/46) and Karn Shrama (4/39) skittled out India Green for 157 after India Red were bowled out for 323, having added 91 runs to their overnight score.
While bowlers made hay, India Green captain, Parthiv Patel reached a landmark of 10,000 runs in first-class cricket.
Earlier, after resuming their innings on 232 for five, Dinesh Karthik continued to strive to keep India Red’s first innings alive with the lower-order in an effort to add useful runs to the tally. Gowtham was the first to depart; sent back for 22 by Navdeep Saini. After 32 rubs, Karn was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj leaving the team on 286 for seven. Couple of overs later, the wicketkeeper-batsman’s resistance was ended 50; trapped lbw by Siraj. CV Milind then took the team past the three-figure mark with Siddharth Kaul and Ashoke Dinda. M Vijay claimed the pacer from Bengal to wrap up the India Red’s first innings at the stroke of Tea.
The pair of Gowtham and Karn then wrecked the India Green line-up in 49.5 overs. Karn trapped Vijay leg before wicket with just six runs on the board while R Samarth was run out with the side on 10. However, P Chopra and Karun Nair joined forces in an effort to script a reply to the India Red innings. The pair added 113 runs until Gowtham struck to claim Nair and end the flourishing partnership.14 runs later the off-spinner claimed Chopra while the leg-spinner followed up with the wicket of Ankit Bawane to leave the team on 140 for five. In the next over, Parthiv was sent back for 17 after joining the 10,000 first-class runs club by Gowtham. The spin duo then claimed the reaming four wickets in quick succession to bowl India Red to a 166-run first innings lead.
Having bowled the opposition out in the last session of the day, Panchal and Sudip Chatterjee came to the crease to build on the lead. After Chatterjee was sent back by Vijay for seven; India Red’s first innings centurion took the team to stumps with Gahlaut.
End of Day 1: India Red 1st inn 232/5 in 86 overs (P Panchal 105, D Karthik 15*, Gowtham K 10*, M Vijay 2/15, K Nair 2/17)
End of Day 2: India Red 1st inn 323/10 in 110.5 overs (D Karthik 50, M Vijay 3/46, Md Siraj 2/43); India Green 1st inn 157/10 in 49.5 overs (P Chopra 65, Gowtham K 5/46, K Sharma 4/39); India Red 2nd inn 19/1 in 13 overs (P Panchal 11*, R Gahlaut 1*) Lead by 185 runs
