The second day of the Duleep Trophy third-round clash between India B and India D at the Rural Development Trust Stadium B-ground in Anantapur was a tale of two centuries. While Sanju Samson’s (106 runs) had earlier put India D in a commanding position, Abhimanyu Easwaran’s (116 runs) heroics kept India B in the hunt.
Easwaran’s century was a one-man show, with his innings being the backbone of India B’s batting effort. He displayed his skills throughout his innings, finding boundaries with ease as he glanced and flicked Arshdeep Singh for two boundaries early in the innings. A 105-run partnership with Washington Sundar (39 batting) helped India B reach 210 for six, leaving them 139 runs short of India D’s first innings score of 349.
However, India B’s progress was not without its obstacles. Arshdeep Singh’s five-over burst in the second session proved to be a turning point, as he dismissed Musheer Khan, Suryakumar Yadav, and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Earlier in the day, Sanju Samson’s century had been a treat for the spectators. He showcased his maturity, curbing his natural instinct to swing for glory and building his innings steadily. He reached his 11th First-Class hundred in 95 balls, and looked set for a big score before being dismissed by Navdeep Saini.
Saini’s five-wicket haul brought India D’s innings to a close. He was relentless with his pace and movement, dismissing the rest of the India B batsmen with ease.
With India B still trailing by a significant margin, the third day promises to be an exciting one, with the outcome of the match still up for grabs. It remains to be seen if India B can recover from their current position and make a strong fight for victory, or if India D can capitalize on their advantage and secure a win.
