Duleep Trophy: Mavi and Sheth hog the limelight as Central Zone places a squeeze on West Zone within the semifinal

Solidity: Atit Sheth’s innings rescued West Zone after its top-order didn’t construct partnerships.
| Picture Credit score: FILE PHOTOS: Okay. PICHUMANI

On a windy day, the place it threatened to rain continually, Central Zone restricted the much-fancied West Zone to 216 for eight on the primary day of the Duleep Trophy semifinal on the Alur (1) Cricket Floor in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Central skipper Shivam Mavi led from the entrance with a four-wicket haul as all-rounder Atit Sheth scored a battling half-century to rescue his facet after its vaunted prime order crumbled after it received the toss.

West started the day sedately with its openers — skipper Priyank Panchal and Prithvi Shaw — largely in management.

Shaw was the primary to fall after he tried to tackle left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar with a backfoot punch, which was intercepted by Jurel along with his pads at foolish level earlier than he accomplished the catch. Panchal adopted quickly after he was trapped in entrance by Yash Thakur.

Mavi bowled an impressed second spell and was rewarded with the prized wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Sarfaraz Khan. Avesh Khan then dismantled Het Patel’s stumps with an in-winging yorker to go away West reeling at 65 for 5.

Avesh’s involvement although would quickly finish after he and Rinku Singh left the sphere injured, following a collision between the 2 whereas making an attempt a catch.

All this whereas, Cheteshwar Pujara had batted himself into the sport, using his immaculate defence. The Saurashtra batter and Sheth regarded regular of their 45-run partnership earlier than Pujara edged Mavi to first slip.

Sheth then stitched up a 73-run partnership with Dharmendrasinh Jadeja to tug West to security, with the previous cracking some perfectly-timed boundaries.

Central regained management of the sport with off-spinner Saransh Jain getting Jadeja caught at brief leg.

Mavi would return with the second new ball to seek out Sheth’s exterior edge, which was wolfed up by Jurel. Chintan Gaja and Arzan Nagwaswalla although ensured West noticed out the remainder of the day.

The scores:

West Zone — 1st innings: Prithvi Shaw c Jurel b Saurabh 26, Priyank Panchal lbw b Yash 13, Cheteshwar Pujara c Khare b Mavi 28, Suryakumar Yadav c Jurel b Mavi 7, Sarfaraz Khan b Mavi 0, Het Patel b Avesh 5, Atit Sheth c Jurel b Mavi 74, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja c Khare b Saransh 39, Chintan Gaja (batting) 13, Arzan Nagwaswalla (batting) 5; Extras (lb-4, nb-2) 6; Whole (fr eight wkts. in 90 overs): 216.

Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-43, 3-56, 4-56, 5-65, 6-110, 7-183, 8-203.

Central Zone bowling: Mavi 18-7-43-4, Avesh 11-4-26-1, Yash Thakur 19-5-50-1, Saurabh 27-6-64-1, Saransh 15-6-29-1

Toss: West Zone.