Duleep Trophy 2025: Rajat Patidar, Yash Rathod trouble South

Bengaluru: India’s domestic cricket scene is built on toiling hard, weathering challenging spells and stacking up runs. Rajat Patidar and Yash Rathod gave a glimpse of the recurring theme, piling misery on a tired-looking South Zone attack at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence surface, which appeared to have eased out on the second day of the Duleep Trophy final here in Bengaluru. 

After Central’s small but significant batting step on the first day, where they made 50/0, Central continued to take solid strides as they finished 384/5 in 104 overs at stumps. 

Danish Malewar sowed the seeds, helping them inch closer to the South total. Patidar, then watered them with trademark elegance while Rathod’s grit provided the sunshine as Central’s yield (read as lead) over South stretched to 235 runs. Rathod (137 not out) and Saransh Jain (47 not out) were still going strong.  

On a warm, sunny day and in conditions devoid of any encouragement for the bowlers, South were put to the test in the first session. The seamers, especially Vasuki Koushik and Gurjapneet Singh, came up with right answers when they picked up three wickets in the first half of the first session, giving their side some much-needed momentum. 

Speed does thrill but there also lies beauty in a ball that pitches on the seam, nips back and takes the stumps to cartwheel with it. It was a chef’s-kiss beauty that got rid of Akshay Wadkar for 22 and there would not be marks for guessing the bowler’s name as Koushik handed South their first wicket in his second over of the day.

The former Karnataka pacer, who recently made the move to Goa, was well supported by Gurjapneet. The Tamil Nadu seamer went close to picking wickets on a few occasions, extracting decent bounce off the surface. He was eventually rewarded when Shubham Sharma inside-edged a ball, which was angled from around the wicket, while attempting to drive. 

The 26-year-old struck again when a dip in concentration saw Malewar edge one to first slip. After the first session, SZ bowled with neither energy nor urgency and it was all one-way traffic.

With drives and sweeps flowing freely, Patidar stamped his authority as the hosts could not hit the preferred line and lengths. However, he did make a mistake but was given a lifeline when he was trapped by Ankit Sharma on 44 off a no-ball. 

Anything overpitched was driven with confidence by the Central skipper. He was also late-cutting with ease as he reached his 15th first-class hundred with a quick single to mid-off. 

However, it was an anti-climactic end to a show, that was rich in aesthetics, when he was strangled down the leg and gloved it to the keeper. 

After Patidar’s dismissal, Upendra Yadav (5) tickled one down the leg, which Azharuddeen happily accepted. 

On the other hand, Rathod overcame his early blues with edges flying past slip and gully, only for him to complete his seventh first-class hundred, ending unbeaten on 137, with 11 fours and a six. 

To rub salt into the South wounds, skipper Azharuddeen was also given a warning for a slow over-rate. 

South’s day of toil, where runs were plenty and wickets scarce, ended with 108 runs coming in the final session.