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Key Points

Ayush Badoni's magnificent unbeaten double century guided North Zone to a commanding position against East Zone. The team piled on 658/4 in their second innings before accepting a draw with a massive first-innings lead. Ankit Kumar contributed significantly with 198 runs, just missing his own double century. North Zone now advances to the semifinals where they will face South Zone in the next round.

Key Points: Ayush Badoni Double Century Powers North Zone Duleep Trophy Semifinals

  • Ayush Badoni scored unbeaten 204* in second innings
  • Ankit Kumar narrowly missed double century with 198 runs
  • North Zone declared at 658/4 with 563-run lead
  • East Zone bowled out for 230 in first innings response
  • North Zone advances to face South Zone in semifinals
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Duleep Trophy: Ayush Badoni's unbeaten double century helps North Zone reach semifinals

Ayush Badoni's unbeaten 204* and Ankit Kumar's 198 lead North Zone to Duleep Trophy semifinals with massive 658/4 declaration against East Zone.

"Led by Ayush Badoni's unbeaten 204*, North Zone batters continued to pile misery on East Zone bowlers - Match Report"

Bengaluru, August 31

The quarterfinal fixture of the ongoing Duleep Trophy between North Zone and East Zone ended in a draw on Sunday, with North Zone making it to the semifinals on the basis of their massive first-innings lead.

Led by Ayush Badoni's unbeaten 204*, North Zone batters continued to pile misery on East Zone bowlers on the final day of the Duleep Trophy encounter, the result for which was obvious heading into Day 5.

Resuming Saturday's play on 388 for 2, with a mammoth 563-run lead in hand, North Zone decided to bat on till the end and accept a draw after piling on 658 for 4 in the second innings. Ankit Kumar, who had resumed his innings on 168, was only two runs away from scoring his first first-class double century when he was taken by Mukhtar Hussain after adding 30 runs to his overnight total.

But that did not stop North Zone from launching its assault. In the first days of play, when there wasn't much help for the bowlers, Nishant Sindhu and Badoni produced a 157-run stand before Utkarsh Singh killed the first victim of the game. In the innings, Utkarsh bowled the majority of the overs and was demolished for 191 runs. Manishi, who had six wickets in the first innings, was unable to take any.

Earlier in the match, East Zone won the toss and opted to field. North Zone made 405-10 in their first innings with fifties from Ayush Badoni and Kanhaiya Wadhawan. East Zone in reply were bowled out for 230, with North Zone taking a massive lead of 175.

North Zone, which has advanced to the semifinals, will now face South Zone.

Brief scores: North Zone 405 & 658/4 (Ayush Badoni 204*, Ankit Kumar 198; Manishi 6/111). Vs East Zone 230 (Virat Singh 69; Auqib Nabi 5-28).

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Poor Ankit Kumar must be heartbroken - getting out on 198 after coming so close to his double century. That's cricket for you! Still a brilliant knock though 👏
A
Aman W
North Zone's batting was just relentless. 658/4 in second innings after scoring 405 in first? That's some serious domination. East Zone bowlers must be exhausted!
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Sarah B
While the batting was impressive, I feel for East Zone bowlers. Utkarsh Singh bowling majority of overs and conceding 191 runs - that's tough going. Pitch must have been a batting paradise.
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Vikram M
Duleep Trophy continues to be the perfect platform for emerging talent. Badoni, Ankit, Sindhu - all young guns making their mark. Future of Indian cricket looks bright! ✨
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Michael C
The first innings lead of 175 was massive, but batting on to 658/4 seemed a bit excessive. Could have declared earlier and given bowlers a chance to push for outright win. Just my opinion.

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