East Zone had waited 14 years to return to the Duleep Trophy final. They could have been forgiven for taking a cautious step into a game of such significance. Instead, they walked into the MA Chidambaram Stadium and played the first session as though they had nothing to lose.
At the end of Day 1, East have already amassed a massive total of 385/4 and are right in the driver's seat. South, for now, look largely in the back foot and will require an inspiring Day 2.
The bowlers struggled to find consistent lengths in the opening hour and failed to build sustained pressure. East Zone's openers, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, sensed the opportunity and attacked it with contrasting but equally effective approaches.
Sooryavanshi, Easwaran torment South Zone
Sooryavanshi was the
spark. The 15-year-old took on Mohammed Siraj without hesitation, including a stunning sequence of four, six and four in one over, and raced to 44 off 37 balls. His aggression forced South Zone captain Tilak Varma into defensive fields remarkably early in the innings.
At the other end, Easwaran appeared to have temporarily shelved the patient, percentage-based approach that has defined much of his red-ball career. He played his shots, took on the bowlers and complemented Sooryavanshi brilliantly as the pair put together a century opening stand.
Sooryavanshi eventually fell for 44, attempting to manufacture a release shot after his scoring rate had slowed. Easwaran carried on, reaching 72 from 86 balls with 10 fours and a six. But his dismissal was perhaps the one sour note in an otherwise outstanding opening passage.
A mix-up with Shikhar Mohan resulted in Easwaran being run out, with Devdutt Padikkal and Narayan Jagadeesan completing the dismissal. It was the sort of wicket South Zone desperately needed, but one East Zone would have felt they had gifted away. Yet the momentum barely disappeared.
Shikhar Mohan's fluent half-century kept the innings moving before Ishan Kishan took centre stage. The East Zone captain transformed the platform into a commanding hundred, remaining unbeaten on 111 at stumps. The southpaw was quite sublime in his knock as well, as he has hit 14 fours and 2 sixes so far.
Kumar Kushagra has provided excellent support with an unbeaten 63, and their unbroken fifth-wicket partnership pushed East Zone to 385 for four after 79 overs.
South Zone's attack, which included Siraj, Shreyas Gopal and MD Nidheesh, never quite found the consistency required to wrest control back. Siraj finished the day without a wicket, while South Zone also lost valuable overs through a poor over rate.
For a side returning to the Duleep Trophy final after 14 years, East Zone could hardly have scripted a more emphatic opening. They did not merely survive the occasion. They have pounced on it.
