Duleep Trophy Final: Duleep Trophy Final: East Zone Stay on Top on Day Three
East Zone dominated South Zone with bat and ball on day three of the Duleep Trophy final, leaving South Zone struggling at 242 for six after a huge first innings total.
Duleep Trophy Final: East Zone continued to control the Duleep Trophy 2026 final on Tuesday, putting South Zone under pressure with a strong bowling display after piling up a massive first innings total.
South Zone ended the third day at 242 for six and still trail by 466 runs. With two days remaining, East Zone are in a commanding position and South Zone have plenty of work to do.
Captain Tilak Varma provided some resistance for South Zone. He remained unbeaten on 56 at stumps and was joined by Chama Milind, who was yet to score.
Devdutt Padikkal was the leading scorer for South Zone with 62 from 104 balls. His innings included four boundaries, but he could not convert the start into a much bigger score. Narayan Jagadeesan added 32, while Shaik Rasheed made 27.
Shreyas Gopal scored 26 and Smaran Ravichandran contributed 23. Ricky Bhui had a disappointing outing, returning for just one run.
East Zone had already taken control of the contest during the opening two days. Captain Ishan Kishan produced the standout performance with a remarkable 270 from 334 balls, helping his side post 708 in the first innings.
The huge total left South Zone facing an uphill task even before their innings began. Their batters struggled to build a substantial partnership, allowing East Zone to maintain the pressure throughout the day.
Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar led the East Zone attack with two wickets each. Shikhar Mohan and MD Kounain Qureshi picked up one wicket apiece.
South Zone now need a major turnaround over the final two days if they are to make a serious comeback in the match. East Zone, meanwhile, have built a significant advantage and will look to push further towards a decisive result.
