Duleep Trophy Finals: West Zone defeated South Zone by 294 runs to win the 2022 Duleep Trophy. West zone had posted a score of 529 runs to chase in the final innings. The Duleep Trophy’s zonal format was reinstated this season after a brief experiment with three teams.
South Zone Chase Fail
South Zone was given a massive target of 529 runs for an outright victory. They were bowled out for 234 in 71.2 overs. Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani (4 for 51) took three of the four wickets that fell on the last day.
At 154 for six when play resumed South batters Ravi Teja and R Sai Kishore fought off the West attack for almost two hours. Most of the South Zone’s seasoned batters struggled on the fourth evening. They struggled due to pace duo of Atit Sheth and Jaydev Unadkat. It left the squad in a bleak situation.
Lanky Sai Kishore (7), who held the bowlers at bay for 82 deliveries, provided excellent assistance for Teja (53). In 157 deliveries, the pair scored 57 runs together. They were being cautious with the West Zone bowlers.
Sai Kishore was happy to play defence and spend time in the middle while Teja scored three boundaries and struck a six. When the score was 203, Chintan Gaja, a medium-pacer, made a breakthrough when he got Kishore caught by Priyank Panchal.
West Zone Batting Maestro
After handing their opponents a 57-run first-inning lead and declaring in the second inning, West Zone had amassed 585 for four. Yashasvi Jaiswal (265) and Sarfaraz Khan (127) both contributed significantly. The West Zone showed an impressive batting display in the second innings. Unadkat led the bowlers and finished with a match total of 6 for 80.
West Zone flattened their opponents while batting for nearly five sessions, while the South Zone team took some time to bounce back. That was clear from their second innings of batting, as the majority of their batters fell short of the mark, with the exception of Rohan Kunnummal (93 off 100 balls).
