East Zone enforce follow-on after Shahbaz Ahmed’s 167 in Duleep Trophy quarter-final

East Zone enforced the follow-on against North East Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final on Monday after posting 467 and bowling North East out for 111, with Shahbaz Ahmed scoring 167 and taking three wickets in the match.

Out-of-favour India all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed resumed on 100 and finished with a career-best first-class score of 167 off 244 balls, striking 17 fours and four sixes; he shared a seventh-wicket stand of 103 with Anukul Roy, who made 37, and was the last man dismissed in East’s first innings.

Tripura medium pacer Abhijit Sarkar led the North East collapse, finishing with 5 for 20 in 9.5 overs, while Shahbaz Ahmed returned figures of 3 for 20 with his orthodox left-arm spin as East bowled out their opponents for 111.

North East had appeared well placed at 72 for 2 before a dramatic collapse that saw them lose eight wickets for 39 runs; only opener Arpit Bhatewara (32) and Rongsen Jonathan (21) reached 20, six batters failed to reach double figures and three were dismissed without scoring.

The report notes specific aspects of Abhijit’s bowling action, describing him as a right-arm slow-medium bowler who clocks an average speed in the early 120s, bowls largely incoming deliveries because of an open-chested action, and prompted wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan to stand up to the stumps.

After being asked to follow on, North East reached 7 for no loss in their second innings but still required another 349 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

In all likelihood, East will wrap up the proceedings well inside the third day unless weather plays spoilsport.