• By Namrata Vijay
  • Fri, 06 Sep 2024 09:00 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Duleep Trophy 2024: Navdeep Saini bowled a brilliant new-ball spell and kept India A under control, who were 134/2 on the second day of their Duleep Trophy match, after a brilliant 181-run knock from Musheer Khan, which helped India B post a mammoth target of 321 runs in the first innings. India A trailed by 187 runs at stumps on the second day of the first-round match, where KL Rahul (23) and Riyan Parag (27) were batting at the crease.

Saini, who last represented the country in the longest format in 2021, made a comeback to red-ball cricket by providing much-needed breakthroughs, by taking the wicket of India skipper Shubman Gill (25) and Mayank Agarwal (36). They had stitched a gritty partnership of 57 runs but then Saini struck before tea as Gill's stumps went cartwheeling after Sainin bowled an in-dipper.

Agarwal, who is eyeing his comeback after he was snubbed from India's 2022 pink ball Test squad against Sri Lanka, was looking in sublime form. But Saini, once again spun his web and forced Agarwal to play a loose shot as the ball went towards the leg-side and Rishabh Pant took a stunning catch while diving behind the stumps.

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Saini led India B's bowling attack from the front and piled the pressure back on Rahul and Parag. Mukesh Kumar and Nitish Kumar Reddy helped Saini by bowling sharp spells and gave the duo a tough time. Especially, KL Rahul, who survived a few nervous spells, like a dtropped catch, while he was batting at 3. Parag too had to refrain himself from playing his aggressive style but then he played a brilliant drive and he ball went through the covers in Saini's over and that showed a sign of his true self.

Musheer Khan dominated the first half of the day, as he scored a brilliant knock of 181 runs off 373 balls and played a huge role in India B's total. They began the overnight score of 105 and Musheer continued with his batting onslaught and got great help from Saini, who scored his second first-class half-century. They stitched a record-breaking partnership of 205 runs for the eighth wicket, breaking the Earlie tournament recoird of 197 runs held by Abhishek Nayar and Ramesh Powar in 2010.

Musheer's brilliant knock came to an end post-lunch as Riyan Parag took a brilliant catch in Kuldeep Yadav's over. After his wicket, the team suffered a batting collapse as Akash Deep dismissed the tail-enders and registered figures of 4/60. The team might have suffered a collapse but Musheer's brilliant knock and Saini's heroics with the ball made sure that the match remains evenly poised as India A faces a daunting task to reduce the 287-run deficit.

Brief scores: India B 321 in 116 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 30, Musheer Khan 181, Navdeep Saini 56; Akash Deep 4/60) lead India A 134/2 in 35 overs (Mayank Agarwal 36, Riyan Parag 27, KL Rahul 23; Navdeep Saini 2/36) by 187 runs.