India D has taken a commanding lead over India B in the final Duleep Trophy fixture in Anantapur. Resuming on 210 for 6, India C added 72 runs to their overnight score, thanks largely to Washington Sundar’s 87. Saurabh Kumar claimed the remaining four wickets to finish with a five-wicket haul.
India D’s second innings got off to a shaky start as Navdeep Saini and Mukesh Kumar reduced them to 18 for 3. However, Shreyas Iyer counterattacked with a quickfire 50, hitting seven fours and a six. Sanju Samson, who scored a century in the first innings, contributed 45, while Ricky Bhui remained unbeaten on 90.
At stumps, India D were 244 for 5, with Bhui and Akash Sengupta at the crease. They lead India B by 311 runs with five wickets in hand.
India B, currently second on the table, face an uphill task to win the title. They need to win outright and hope that neither India C nor India A win outright.
