Kaverappa four-for puts South Zone in control on day one of Duleep Trophy semi

Vidwath Kaverappa took four wickets as South Zone finished the opening day on top in their Duleep Trophy semifinal against North Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Sunday. South ended the day at 40 for two in 18 overs while North were bowled out for 195 after opting to bat.

After choosing to bat, North were dismissed for 195 in 59.1 overs, with Qamran Iqbal top-scoring with 76 (182b, 10x4, 1x6). Ricky Bhui twice failed to complete chances off Qamran — grassing a slip catch when the batter was on 16 and missing an easy run-out just before lunch — and South lost Bhui and Shaik Rasheed in the space of 16 balls.

The pitch offered little pace and Kaverappa maintained a disciplined line, taking all four of his wickets in his second spell; his returns included match figures of four for 66 and a second-spell analysis of 8-2-28-4. Those strikes proved decisive in restricting North.

North looked well placed twice during their innings but could not press advantage: they slipped from 71 for one to 95 for four, the key wicket being Abdul Samad, who was caught by a diving R. Smaran at slip off Shreyas Gopal. Qamran and captain Kanhaiya Wadhawan rebuilt to 161 for four before the lower order crumbled.

Kaverappa removed Nishant Sindhu, Abid Mushtaq and Anshul Kamboj as South ran through the tail, while left-arm spinner Tanay Thyagarajann caught and bowled Wadhawan. Qamran’s innings ended when, after advancing down the pitch, he attempted a hook that was pouched by wicketkeeper N. Jagadeesan.

On the adjacent ground defending champions Central Zone posted 266 in 80.1 overs against East Zone, with Aryan Juyal making 46 and Rinku Singh top-scoring with 60 (88b, 8x4). There was a 45-run last-wicket stand between Aryan Panday (22, 46b, 2x4) and Yash Thakur (30 n.o., 26b, 6x4); the toss in that game was won by East.

Much will depend on how the batting line-up — sans Karun Nair, who was not included in the playing XI — tackles the North pace trio of Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh and Anshul Kamboj in Monday’s opening session.