IND RED 161/9. | Live Cricket Score, Duleep Trophy Final, India Red vs India Blue, Day 5
IND RED 356 & 161/9 | Live Cricket Score, Duleep Trophy Final, IND Red vs IND Blue, Day 5: IND RED need 517 to win
Greetings everyone! Welcome to CricketCountry’s live match blog of the fifth and final Day of the Duleep Trophy tournament. The last few weeks have brought with it runs, wickets and some great moment from this campaign, but what deserved to grab the limelight, did get the limelight: The Pink ball. A small yet important step has been taken successfully by the BCCI, towards Pink ball Cricket and its future. India Blue, have managed to relish their opportunity and put themselves in fantastic position to win the first tournament ever with the pink ball. Not only Greater Noida, but the whole world has watched, what has been an exciting first chapter in Day-Night cricket unfolding. With Day Five, will end a historic Duleep Trophy tournament. So, stay tuned as we bring all the action, and enjoy it while it lasts! READ: Duleep Trophy Final, Day 4 Report: Gautam Gambhir-led India Blue inch closer to title over India Red
India Blue were 139 for 3 at close of play on Day Four. They now have a lead of a humongous 476 runs. With Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja at the crease, they will want to extend it even more. India Red on the other hand, did manage to take three wickets on a day, which saw only 33 overs being bowled. OOnly the last session of play could be made used for despite there being no rain since morning. Gautam Gambhir, Mayank Agarwal and Dinesh Karthik were the three wickets to fall for India Blue. Fans could not see Cheteshwar Pujara coming out to bat, on Day Four, Sharma, Karthik and Jadeja were all promoted up the batting order, in a bid to score quick runs. READ: India Red vs India Blue Live Streaming, Duleep Trophy, Day 5: Watch online match telecast & Live TV Coverage
On Day Five, Blue would be looking to declare soon in the first session of play and set a massive target to chase for the Yuvraj Singh-led India Red. Resuming at the overnight total of 1 for no loss, India Blue got off to a steady start with Gambhir and Agarwal stitching a 67-run partnership. Gambhir wasted little time to stretch the lead by punching Pradeep Sangwan through cover and point for the first runs of the evening. The 34-year-old gave little leeway to Nathu Singh in the next over, clipping a full length delivery to the deep mid-wicket fence.
Nathu did not have a good time bowling to Gambhir as the seasoned campaigner carted him for two more boundaries in the sixth over of the evening. Just as India Blue looked to be cruising smoothly, at 33/0 in six overs, there was another stoppage in play, this time for an hour and fifteen minutes. Gambhir looked good for a long innings after play restarted, but departed to the delight of India Red.
The dashing Delhi opener, though not happy with the decision, was drawn forward by a nicely tossed up delivery by Kuldeep forcing the southpaw to miss his front foot defence and let the ball spin away to hit him in front of the stumps. Barring Kuldeep who has been Gambhir’s bane in the final, the 2011 World Cup star looked good for his 36 at a swift strike rate of 61.01. Gambhir who had been excellent throughout the tournament, could not continue his form into his last match of the tournament. Remember there were banner of ‘Bring Back Gautam’ at the venue, and Gambhir also tweeted, to show courage on his part despite his non-selction in India’s squad. But he could not get a big one in what was his last innings in this year’s Duleep Trophy.
At the other end, Agarwal played well for his 52 laced with seven fours. The 25-year-old brought up his fifty in propitious fashion, flicking a Kuldeep delivery off the middle of the bat which Nathu misfielded at deep midwicket allowing the ball to trickle over the ropes. Agarwal brought up his 11th fifty in first-class cricket.
Soon after though, the right-hander perished, this time, Nathu making no mistake at deep midwicket. Trying to hit Kuldeep with the spin into the stands, the Karnataka batsman ended up dragging it to Nathu.
Dinesh Karthik did not last long, trying to be too swishy too early. Hurrying to a 12-ball 16, the experienced keeper stepped out to Amit Mishra missing the turn altogether. Pujara, who scored a superb double-hundred in the last innings was not sent to bat, probably because of his slow rate of scorin, or probably because Sharma and Jadeja wanted to spend some time in the middle before the Test series against New Zealand starts. It will be interesting to see what approach India Red batsmen adopt though, when they come out to chase a set target.
Earlier, it was Jadeja’s five-for that restricted India Red to 356 in their first innings. Despite half-centuries from Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Mishra, Yadav and a 98-run knock by Stuart Binny, India Red were always behind India Blue. Jadeja took 5 for 95, bowled as straight as possible, as accurate as he could get. He looked in fine rhythm ahead of the home Test series against New Zealand, which begins September 22. Karn Sharma, Pankaj Singh took two wickets each as well. Abhimanyu Mithun took one wicket too.
It was the lower-order that took India Red to a score of 356. If not for them, India Red would have faultered to less than 250. But despite getting a 337-run lead, Gambhir decided not to enforce the follow-on and instead came out to bat with Mayank Agarwal. The duo played just 2 overs to finish Day Three at 1 for no loss, with an overall lead of 338 runs at stumps. Proceedings on Day Four then, again went in their favour.