India B Openers Shine as India C Set Mammoth Target
India B openers Abhimanyu Easwaran and Narayan Jagadeesan put on a solid opening stand of 124 runs on the second day of their Duleep Trophy match against India C in Anantapur. The duo remained unbeaten at stumps, with Easwaran on 51 and Jagadeesan on 67, as India B trailed by 401 runs.
Easwaran, the experienced Bengal batter, played a patient innings, facing 91 balls and hitting four fours and a six. Jagadeesan, the wicketkeeper, was more aggressive, scoring his runs off 126 deliveries with eight boundaries.
India C bowlers failed to make any inroads into the India B batting, with none of them able to pick up a wicket in the 36 overs bowled. Frontline bowler Sandeep Warrier was forced to leave the field due to an injury early in the innings.
Earlier, Manav Suthar played a crucial role in helping India C post a mammoth first-innings total of 525. The 22-year-old scored a well-crafted 82 off 156 balls, anchoring the innings after the departure of overnight batter Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Suthar found support from Anshul Kamboj, who made a quickfire 38 off 27 balls, and Mayank Markande, who contributed 17 off 21 deliveries. Suthar’s knock included 11 fours and three sixes, and it was his fourth First-Class half-century and first in the Duleep Trophy.
Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar was the most successful bowler for India C, taking 4/73, while pacer Mukesh Kumar also chipped in with 4/126.
On the first day, Ishan Kishan had marked his First-Class return with a counterattacking century, scoring 111 off 126 balls to help India C reach 357 for five.