Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson’s scintillating knock of 40 off 45 kept India D in the hunt for an improbable victory against India A in the second round match of the Duleep Trophy.
Chasing a mammoth 488, India D were reeling at 62/1 on Day 4 when Samson stepped up to the plate. He began his innings with a boundary off Tanush Kotian and quickly shifted gears, smashing a six against Shams Mulani.
Samson’s aggressive approach continued as he hit another boundary and a maximum in the 57th over of Kotian. However, his innings was cut short in the 61st over when Kotian dismissed him for 40.
Despite Samson’s departure, Ricky Bhui remained solid at the crease, scoring a century to keep India D’s hopes alive. Earlier, Tilak Varma and Pratham Singh had made smooth hundreds to drive India A to a commanding position.
Varma remained unbeaten on 111, while Pratham made an impressive 122 as India A declared their second innings closed at 380 for three. This gave them an overall lead of 487, and India D had to chase down 488 for victory.
With Samson’s heroics and Bhui’s century, India D managed to reduce the deficit to 426 runs at the end of Day 4. The match remains evenly poised, with India D needing a further 284 runs to win on the final day.
