Ricky Bhui (113, 195b, 14x4, 3x6) forced India A into a scrimmage but could merely delay the inevitable as India D lost its second-round Duleep Trophy fixture by 186 runs at the Rural Development Trust Stadium in Anantapur on Sunday.
Shreyas Iyer (41, 55b, 8x4) and Sanju Samson (40, 45b, 3x4, 3x6) played sprightly hands in prolonging the fight but warding off the spinners on a deteriorating day four pitch that went perilously up and down turned out an uphill battle. Player-of-the-match Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian shared seven wickets, bundling the side out for 301.
Bhui, who had laid the marker for India D’s chase on Saturday, was much more measured in approach on day four, letting his partner Yash Dubey take the front seat in the first hour.
Dubey picked up two boundaries in Prasidh Krishna’s over before pouncing on width from Khaleel Ahmed and blasting him through point. Bhui, at the other end, stepped out and got a six over long-off against Mulani.
India A enjoyed the rub of the green when Bhui’s on-side drive deflected off Dubey’s bat at the non-striker’s end and fell Shams Mulani’s way to catch him short of his crease. Devdutt Padikkal found himself helpless in front of a Mulani delivery that pitched on the fourth-stump line and turned square to flatten his leg stump.
Shreyas and Samson braved the tide but their uber-aggressive essays could only take them so far.
Shreyas began by taking down Aaqib Khan, packing him twice through covers before unleashing the front-foot lob over mid-on for a third boundary. He was willing to dole out the same treatment to the spinners, as was evident from his reverse-swept four off Mulani.
The left-arm orthodox bowler got a delivery to skid through, nutmeg Shreyas and rearrange the stumps. That Shreyas premeditated a reverse sweep only to abandon the attempt mid-way made the delivery more awkward for him.
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But hope was not lost for India D courtesy of Samson’s full-bladed burst against the tweakers. The Kerala batter plundered Tanush Kotian and Mulani for three sixes, two over long-on and another clearing mid-wicket. Just when Samson was beginning his siege against pace, with a slice over point off Prasidh, Mulani drew him into a defence with drift and got his outside edge to first slip.
Bhui grabbed an over-pitched ball from Kotian and parked it over covers to complete the century. He couldn’t, however, decipher a delivery that did not turn and holed out at slip, giving the off-spinner the last laugh.
In what is now becoming a trademark, Harshit Rana helped himself to down-the-ground slogs to race away to 24 off 27 balls. Kotian caught his leading edge and ran through the India D tail to claim 4/73 in the innings.
The honours to close out the innings were handed to part-timer Riyan Parag, who duly responded by forcing Vidwath Kaverappa to glove to short leg.
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