India A extended their dominance over India D on the second day of the Duleep Trophy match, amassing a formidable lead of 222 runs at the close of play. Resuming their second innings at 0/0, India A openers Mayank Agarwal and Pratham Singh forged a solid partnership, adding 115 runs for the first wicket.
Agarwal, the India A captain, anchored the innings with a composed 56 off 87 deliveries, while Singh remained unbeaten on 59 from 82 balls. Their partnership laid the foundation for a substantial lead, putting India D under immense pressure.
India A’s bowlers had earlier restricted India D to a modest 183 in their first innings. Khaleel Ahmed and Aaqib Khan were the standout performers with three wickets each, while Prasidh Krishna, returning from injury, chipped in with a crucial wicket.
Devdutt Padikkal was the lone bright spot for India D, scoring a gritty 92 off 124 balls. However, his efforts were not enough to prevent his team from being bowled out for a below-par total.
In their first innings, India A had posted a competitive 290, thanks to a half-century from Agarwal and a quickfire 31 from Harshit Rana. Rana also impressed with the ball, claiming four wickets to end India A’s innings.
With India A firmly in control of the match, India D face an uphill task to salvage a positive result. They will need to produce a much-improved performance in both batting and bowling to close the gap and challenge their opponents.
