East Zone bowl Central Zone out for 266 on Duleep Trophy semifinal opener
Abhijit Sarkar and Mukesh Kumar took three wickets each to bowl Central Zone out for 266, with Rinku Singh's 60 the lone substantial contribution on Day 1 of the Duleep Trophy semifinal.
Abhijit Sarkar and Mukesh Kumar claimed three wickets each as East Zone dismissed Central Zone for 266 on the first day of the Duleep Trophy semifinal. Mohammed Shami supported with two wickets in a dominant bowling display.
Rinku Singh top-scored for Central Zone with 60, but the rest of the batting failed to build partnerships. East Zone's seamers maintained pressure throughout the innings and restricted scoring opportunities after the first hour.
East Zone will begin their first innings on Sunday morning. The match is evenly poised despite Central Zone's total, with both teams still to bat on a surface that offered assistance to the seamers.
CricHubb Take
East Zone's ability to bowl out Central Zone despite Rinku Singh's presence shows their seam attack has the depth to compete at the national level, a factor often overlooked in selection debates.