India A match against India D

In the second round of the Duleep Trophy at Anantapur, Mumbai's Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian played crucial roles in rescuing India A after a strong performance by India D's seamers. Vidwath Kaverappa, Harshit Rana, and Arshdeep Singh exploited the pitch's conditions to make early inroads into the India A lineup.

The pitch, similar to the one used in the first game at the venue, favoured seamers due to its grassy surface. Kaverappa, who had initially been part of the India A squad before being moved to India D, was particularly effective. He quickly made an impact, dismissing Mayank Agarwal and Pratham Singh with disciplined bowling. Agarwal, after attempting to counter Kaverappa's movement, was caught nicking a delivery to the wicketkeeper. Pratham Singh fell to a well-directed bouncer, caught by Arshdeep Singh.

Despite a shaky start, highlighted by Tilak Varma's cautious approach and Riyan Parag’s aggressive counter-attack, India A struggled. Parag’s 37 off 29 balls, including a memorable six over long-off, provided a brief spark but ended when he was caught at first slip. The dismissal of Varma and Shashwat Rawat left India A reeling at 93/5.

However, the conditions improved for batting as the morning moisture dissipated. Mulani’s unbeaten 88 and a valuable 53 from Kotian helped India A recover to 288/8 by the end of Day 1. Their 91-run partnership for the seventh wicket was instrumental in stabilising the innings. Mulani's patience and Kotian's scoring ensured that India A was back on track, although late breakthroughs by left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar and Arshdeep Singh kept the game evenly poised.

Brief Scores:

India A 288/8 (Shams Mulani 88*, Tanush Kotian 53, Riyan Parag 37; Vidwath Kaverappa 2/30) vs India D