Anantpur (Andhra Pradesh) [India], September 15 (ANI): In a dominant display of cricket, India A clinched a resounding victory over India D by a substantial margin of 186 runs in the third match of the Duleep Trophy, held at the Rural Development Trust Stadium in Anantapur on Sunday. The triumph was significantly attributed to the outstanding performance of spinners Tanush Kotian and Shams Mulani, who effectively dismantled the India D batting lineup.

Shams Mulani was deservedly named Man of the Match for his all-round brilliance. In the first innings, he played a pivotal role by scoring a crucial 89 runs. In the fourth innings, his bowling prowess shone through as he took 3 wickets for 117 runs. His key dismissals included prominent batsmen such as Devdutt Padikkal, Shreyas Iyer, and Sanju Samson. Mulani’s remarkable effort was complemented by Tanush Kotian, who claimed 4 vital wickets in the fourth innings, further crippling India D’s batting.

Chasing a daunting target of 488 runs, the Shreyas Iyer-led side struggled right from the start. At the end of the third day, India D was positioned at 62/1. The fourth day saw them losing their second wicket at 102 when Yash Dubey was run out by Mulani for a score of 37. Shortly after Dubey’s dismissal, Padikkal was sent back to the pavilion for just 1 run. Captain Shreyas Iyer showed some resistance with a counter-attacking knock of 41 but eventually fell to Mulani’s skillful bowling.

Sanju Samson, contributing 40 runs, was also dismissed by Mulani, leaving India D in a precarious position at 220/4. Despite late efforts from Saurabh Kumar (22) and Harshit Rana (24), the India A spinners maintained their stranglehold, preventing any significant comeback. The match concluded with Riyan Parag taking the final wicket, sealing a comprehensive victory for India A.

Pratham Singh of India A delivered a stellar performance with the bat, scoring an impressive 122 runs off 189 balls, decorated with 12 fours and a six. His innings were well-supported by Tilak Varma, who played an unbeaten knock of 111 runs from 193 balls, featuring nine boundaries. Together, Pratham and Tilak constructed a magnificent partnership of 104 runs in 190 balls.

In addition to these stellar performances, skipper Mayank Aggarwal and Shaswat Rawat also contributed valuable fifties. Aggarwal scored 56 runs off 87 balls, hitting eight fours, while Shaswat played an unbeaten knock of 64 runs from 88 balls, including seven fours.

Under Mayank Aggarwal’s captaincy, India A declared their innings at an imposing score of 380 for 3 in 98 overs, with Tilak and Shaswat unbeaten at the crease. For India D, left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar took two wickets in his spell of 26 overs, conceding 110 runs, while skipper Shreyas Iyer chipped in with one wicket in his four-over spell, giving away 22 runs.

Brief Score: India A posted scores of 290 and declared at 380/3 in 98 overs (Pratham Singh 122, Tilak Varma 111*, Saurabh Kumar 2/110). In response, India D managed scores of 183 and 301 (Ricky Bhui 113, Shreyas Iyer 41, Tanush Kotian 4/73). (ANI)