Mulani and Kotians' efforts lead the India A to win

Shams Mulani played a vital role in salvaging India A's innings, scoring an unbeaten 88 to help them reach 288 for 8 at the end of the first day of their second-round Duleep Trophy match against India D. Mulani's heroics came after India A found themselves in dire straits at 93 for 5, as left-arm seamer Vidwath Kaverappa had wreaked havoc, taking two wickets for 30 runs.

Batting first after being invited by India D captain Shreyas Iyer, India A's early woes included losing Mayank Agarwal and Pratham Singh for just 21 runs. Kaverappa, regarded as a key fast-bowling prospect by the BCCI, demonstrated his skill with sharp bounce and movement that troubled the openers. While Riyan Parag attempted to counter the pressure with a quick-fire 37 off 29 balls, he fell to an edge off Arshdeep Singh.

Tilak Varma also succumbed to the spin of Saransh Jain, and after Shashwat Rawat was dismissed, Kumar Kushagra briefly held the innings together with a resolute 28 runs. The turning point came when the duo of Mulani and Kotian, both hailing from Mumbai, built a crucial 91-run partnership for the seventh wicket, batting steadily for 27 overs as conditions improved.

Kotian, more aggressive in his approach, struck six fours and a six in his knock of 53. His innings ended at the hands of left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar, who had struggled for wickets earlier. In the final stages of the day, Harshit Rana claimed the wicket of returning fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, who had been absent from the field for seven months due to a quadriceps injury.

As play resumes on Friday, Mulani will be chasing his first first-class century, while India D will aim to seize momentum after their previous match's defeat.