Duleep Trophy: India Blue fight back after Baba Indrajith’s double ton

India Blue reached 216/3 in reply to India Red’s 383 all out on the second day of the Duleep Trophy match in Kanpur. Baba Indrajith, who remained unbeaten on 120 on Day 1, slammed a double century.

Tamil Nadu batsman Baba Indrajith smashed a whirlwind double century to help India Red score 383 in their first innings against India Blue in the Duleep Trophy at the Green Park on Thursday.

Baba Indrajith’s double ton helped India Red post 383 vs India Blue in a Duleep Trophy game.(Twitter/Wah Cricket)

In reply, India Blue scored 216/3 in 61 overs at the end of Day Two in the four-day, day-night contest. Hyderabad’s Hanuma Vihari (86no —163b, 14x4) and Deepak Hooda (23no -- 41b, 2x4) were batting at stumps.

The Suresh Raina-led India Blue still need 168 to take the first innings lead.

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Despite losing two wickets within the 100-run mark, Hanuma Vihari and skipper Suresh Raina played cautiously and stitched together a 73-run third wicket stand before Raina (52-- 82b, 7x4) was caught by Priyank Panchal at short fine-leg while flicking off-spinner Vijay Gohil. It was Raina’s 43rd first-class half-century.

Hanuma Vihari hit the India Red bowlers for boundaries without any problem and has so far added 57 runs with Deepak Hooda so far.

India Blue had an early setback after opener Samit Gohel (32 – 47 b, 5x4) failed to read a slower one from leg-spinner Karn Sharma to be caught at covers.

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Bengal’s Manoj Tiwary was the next to go. Having struck three fours in his 34-ball 20, he edged Basil Thampi to keeper Rishabh Pant.

Indrajith, resuming on his overnight 120, struck almost all the bowlers for fours and sixes. The 23-year-old took just 99 balls to score 80 runs to reach his maiden first-class double century. Indrajith completed 2,000 first-class runs during the knock.

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Playing his 33rd first-class match, Inderjith struck 200 off 280 balls (20x4, 6x6) as India Red finished their first innings strongly. Inderjith completed his double century in style, hitting a six off Manoj Tiwary over mid-off. However, he was caught at deep extra cover off Tiwary soon after.

He raised a record 178-run last-wicket partnership with Vijay Gohil (34* -- 83b, 6x4), the all-time best in Duleep Trophy for the 10th wicket. The previous best of 164 came in 1991-92 between Vijay Yadav and Maninder Singh at Surat, for North Zone against South Zone.

BRIEF SCORES

India Red 383 (B Inderjith 200, P Panchal 36, A Rajpoot 3/56, J Unadkat 2/72, M Tiwary 2/30) vs India Blue 216/3 in 61 overs (G Vihari 86*, S Raina 52)