Anantapur, Sept 15: Ricky Bhui delayed the inevitable with a stubborn hundred, but spinners Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian eventually brought India D to their knees as India A walked away with a 186-run win in the Duleep Trophy match here on Sunday.
Bhui, starting from overnight 44, made 113 (195b, 14×4, 3×6) but India D, overnight 62, were bundled out for 301, chasing 488.
The victory enabled India A to stay in contention for the title with 6 points. But they will have to get a favourable result against table-toppers India C (9 points) in their next match here from September 19.
India D, out of title race after two successive defeats, will be up against second-placed India B, who have 7 points.
On a pitch that gave copious assistance to the spinners, the ‘D’ batters needed to show tremendous application to hang around. But apart from Bhui none really showed the stomach for a fight.
Bhui’s second-wicket stand with Yash Dubey (37) was worth 100 runs but Dubey got run out, and in his next over Mulani castled Devdutt Padikkal to push India D to 105 for three.
They managed to stitch two useful stands for two subsequent wickets – a 53 between Bhui and skipper Shreyas Iyer (41, 55b, 8×4) and a 62 between Bhui and Sanju Samson (40, 45b, 3×4, 3×6).
But their stands were more about aggression, and the approach was fraught with danger on a pitch where spinners called the shots.
Both Shryeas and Samson were cleaned up by Mulani, who was later adjudged player of the match. A sharply turned one accounted for Shreyas while Samson failed to connect a pull as the ball disturbed the timber. (PTI)
