Kaverappa Leads South Zone’s Charge Against North Zone in Duleep Trophy Semi-Final

BENGALURU: Pacer Vidhwath Kaverappa spearheaded a clinical bowling performance for South Zone, dismantling North Zone for a modest 195 on the opening day of their Duleep Trophy semi-final clash at the BCCI Centre of Excellence on Sunday.

North Zone, having elected to bat first in a repeat of their quarter-final winning strategy, struggled to find momentum as South Zone’s disciplined bowling attack kept the pressure on from the outset.

Iqbal’s Gritty Resistance

Opening batter Qamran Iqbal emerged as the lone warrior for North Zone, anchoring the innings with a patient 76 off 182 deliveries. Despite his composure, the batting lineup faltered around him. While Ayush Doseja showed brief promise with a 23-run cameo featuring five boundaries, he fell to the spin of Kavuri Saiteja, triggering a collapse in the morning session.

By the time the players broke for the middle of the day, North Zone had been reduced to 95/4, having lost Sanat Sangwan, Ayush Badoni, and Abdul Samad in quick succession. Captain Kanhaiya Wadhawan (35) attempted to steady the ship, pairing with Iqbal for a 66-run stand—the most significant partnership of the innings. However, the partnership was broken when spinner Tanay Thyagarajan castled Wadhawan, exposing the tail to South Zone’s relentless pace attack.

Kaverappa Closes the Door

Returning for a devastating second spell, Vidhwath Kaverappa proved too hot to handle for the lower order. Unlike their previous outing, North Zone failed to produce a late-order rescue act. The final five wickets crumbled for a mere 21 runs, with Kaverappa finishing with stellar figures of 4/66. Thyagarajan (2/31) and MD Nidheesh (2/38) provided vital support to ensure the North Zone innings folded inside 60 overs.

South Zone’s Response

In reply, South Zone began their pursuit of the 195-run target on a testing note. While wicketkeeper-batter N. Jagadeesan played a counter-attacking knock, remaining unbeaten on 34 off just 31 balls, the team lost early wickets. Anshul Kamboj and Gurnoor Brar struck late in the day to dismiss Ricky Bhui (5) and Shaik Rasheed (0), reducing South Zone to 40/2 at stumps.

With South Zone trailing by 155 runs, all eyes will be on day two. Captain Tilak Varma (1*) and Jagadeesan will look to build a foundation, though questions remain about the team’s bold decision to exclude veteran Karun Nair from the starting XI—a choice that may face scrutiny depending on how the South Zone middle order fares under pressure.

Brief Scores:

• North Zone: 195 all out in 59.1 overs (Qamran Iqbal 76, Kanhaiya Wadhawan 35; Vidhwath Kaverappa 4/66, Tanay Thyagarajan 2/31)
• South Zone: 40/2 in 18 overs (N. Jagadeesan 34*; Anshul Kamboj 1/9, Gurnoor Brar 1/12)
• South Zone trail by 155 runs.