East Zone surge toward Duleep Trophy glory as Kishan and Easwaran shine

Stumps East Zone 385 for 4 (Kishan 111, Mohan 85, Easwaran 72, Kushagra 63. Milind 2-56) vs South Zone

Thirteen years after their last Duleep Trophy triumph on these very grounds, East Zone are well placed to reclaim the title. At stumps on day one of the 2026-27 final at Chepauk, they stood at 376 for 4, with every batter except Sudip Gharami making a meaningful impact.

Two performers distinguished themselves.

Captain Ishan Kishan delivered a powerful affirmation of his red-ball credentials — the very format that once drew criticism and cost him his central contract. Alongside him, Abhimanyu Easwaran overshadowed the explosive Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during their commanding opening partnership.Kishan remained unbeaten on 103 — his tenth first-class century — and crossed 4,000 first-class runs on the day. Easwaran was en route to his 28th first-class century on his 31st birthday before a miscommunication with Shikhar Mohan led to a costly run-out for 72.

Until that turn of events, Easwaran had displayed the authority and fluency that define his red-ball game — qualities rarely showcased in recent times. On a bouncy red-soil pitch, he reminded national selectors of his Test credentials, building on his half-century in last week’s semi-final victory.

Mohan, the Jharkhand opener drafted in to replace Virat Singh, integrated seamlessly and compiled an elegant 85 at number three. He exhibited exceptional balance against South Zone’s pace attack early on, then unleashed his full range of shots, particularly against T Vijay’s off-spin.

Coming off a breakthrough debut season for Jharkhand, Mohan was set to reach his third first-class century when he edged a delivery from left-arm seamer CV Milind to 85. East were 241 for 4 at that stage, with South threatening a modest reply. Instead, collapse followed.

Kishan and Kumar Kushagra forged an unbroken 144-run partnership in just 26.4 overs before stumps. Kushagra, the fourth East batter to reach fifty, finished unbeaten on 63 with four fours and five sixes. South, meanwhile, offered little resistance and struggled with both overrates — managing only 79 overs — and tactical discipline.

File photo: Abhimanyu Easwaran made 72•Hindustan Times via Getty Images

From the outset, Tilak Varma deployed four fielders on the boundary to contain Sooryavanshi. An hour in, Tilak’s patience snapped and he engaged in sledging deemed serious enough for umpire intervention. South’s tactic of bowling short post-tea backfired against two batters who met the ball boldly. Mohammed Siraj, far from his best and lacking pace — much like during the Sri Lanka Test tour — completely unraveled, finishing with 0 for 96 in 14 overs.

Both captains won their toss decisions, and Sooryavanshi adopted a cautious approach early on. Beyond an initial drive through the covers that produced an inside edge, he was largely methodical. He treated the Sunday crowd to exquisite off-side work on the up between backward point and extra cover. Spread-out fields from the fifth over failed to apply pressure, and the first maiden arriving in the 20th over spoke volumes.

Sooryavanshi reached 34 off 24 without playing an aggressive shot, targeting Siraj for 4, 6, 4 in his first spell. Easwaran, meanwhile, batted characteristically straight, driving beautifully against the pacers. His back-foot play and pull shots off Siraj — repeatedly dispatched — allowed him to pull ahead, reaching fifty off just 46 balls.

Sooryavanshi was the first to fall, attempting to dispatch Milind’s short ball only to sky it to deep midwicket. The dismissal slowed the rate and set up Easwaran’s run-out — he pushed to point, Mohan initially responded, then turned his back.

South glimpsed hope when Sudip Gharami mistimed a lofted drive straight to Milind off Vijay, leaving them 147 for 3. But any revival was extinguished by the Jharkhand trio of Kishan, Mohan, and Kushagra.

Mohan was devastating against spin, reaching his fourth first-class century off 61 balls on Duleep Trophy debut. After his departure, Kushagra absorbed a short-ball barrage post-tea, the highlight being a hook for six off Siraj. Kishan, subdued until reaching his fifty off 71 balls, then erupted — launching Vijay for a six and accelerating toward his century as East seized complete control.

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