Duleep Trophy Final: Shami and Mukesh Bundle Out South Zone to Strengthen East’s Grip

CHENNAI: Though currently outside India’s red-ball setup, Bengal pacers Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar delivered a potent reminder of their class on the flat surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.

Exploiting the Chennai heat, Shami and Mukesh combined for four wickets to tighten East Zone’s grip on the Duleep Trophy final. South Zone closed Day Three at 242-6, still 466 runs behind East’s mammoth first-innings total.

Shami (2-17 in 11 overs) showcased superb control, removing well-set Shaikh Rasheed and Smaran Ravichandran. Mukesh chipped in with 2-36 from 12 overs. The duo complemented each other perfectly, constantly strategizing about length and utilizing reverse swing intelligently.

“After about 20 overs, the ball began to move, both in reverse and conventional ways,” Mukesh explained. “We capitalized on that, allowing us to claim wickets quickly.”

East captain Ishan Kishan managed his premier seamers carefully, mindful of the physical toll of bowling in humid conditions. Shami began with a miserly three-over spell conceding just one run, while Mukesh took four wickets, including Ricky Bhui, who edged a sharp delivery to Kumar Kushagra.

“It is incredibly hot, and the pitch is flat. Short spells of five or six overs are ineffective here, and long spells risk cramps,” Mukesh stated. “Our strategy was to bowl in short bursts, giving maximum effort on every delivery. That approach worked perfectly for us.”

Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy was ruled out after injuring his bowling hand on Monday, forcing East to rely on part-time spin.

In Anukul’s absence, Shikhar Mohan bowled left-arm orthodox and seized his chance, claiming his maiden first-class wicket as N Jagadeesan sliced a delivery to Abhimanyu Easwaran at backward point.

Devdutt Padikkal, fresh from his impressive India performances, reached his half-century off 65 balls before Shami broke his partnership with Rasheed. The veteran paceman returned after lunch to trap the right-hander leg-before.

Mukesh also applied considerable pressure and claimed the prized scalp of Padikkal, who fell for 62. “The plan against Devdutt was to bowl stump-to-stump,” Mukesh said. “On wickets like this, offering width leaks runs. We aimed to stay consistent, bowl dot balls, and force them to take risks.”

Mukesh emphasized that the key was not overdoing things on a flat pitch. “Speed was a priority, but without fitness, you cannot increase it. It is about hitting the deck and gauging the length that works on this surface,” he added.

Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 56 offered South some resistance, while Shreyas Gopal contributed 38 before falling to Kounain Quraishi in the final over of the day.

Brief scores:

East Zone 708 all out. South Zone 242-6 (Padikkal 62, Tilak 56*). Match to continue.

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