Key Points

Patidar struck a fluent 101 off 115 balls while Rathod remained unbeaten on 137, guiding Central to 384 for 5 at stumps on the second day at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. With that, Central now lead South Zone by 235 runs.

The day had begun with Central trailing by 99 runs on a surface that offered movement under overcast skies. South Zone’s Vasuki Koushik exploited the conditions brilliantly, dismissing captain Akshay Wadkar with a sharp inswinger that crashed into off stump. Gurjapneet Singh maintained the pressure with his lively pace and seam movement, unsettling the batters with deliveries in the mid-130s. He was soon rewarded when Shubham Sharma dragged on and later removed Danish Malewar, who had battled hard for a 53 off 120 balls. At 93 for 3 in the 33rd over, South had their tails up.

But the arrival of Patidar changed the complexion of the game. The Central skipper settled quickly, driving Koushik crisply and rotating strike with Rathod. He reached his half-century off 72 balls, mixing patience with controlled aggression. A slice of fortune came when he was adjudged lbw to Ankit Sharma on 44, only for the replays to confirm a no-ball. Patidar made full use of the reprieve, marching to his 15th first-class hundred with characteristic stroke play—sweeps, drives, and an upper-cut for six off Gurjapneet. His 167-run partnership with Rathod pulled Central not only into the lead but into a position of dominance.

Rathod, at the other end, played a more measured innings initially, but once set, he too unfurled an array of shots. He clipped through midwicket, drove fluently, and punished anything loose. The 25-year-old reached his seventh first-class century after tea, celebrating with a roar before removing his helmet and gloves. Rathod ended the day unbeaten on 137, showcasing maturity and control.

Although Gurjapneet struck again to remove Patidar for 101 and Nidheesh accounted for Upendra Yadav down the leg side, the momentum was firmly with Central. Rathod found a solid partner in Saransh Jain, fresh off a semi-final half-century, and the pair added 108 runs in the last session off 32 overs.

South took the second new ball as late as the 101st over, but by then the pitch had eased out and offered little assistance. As the players walked off, Central, at 384 for 5 with Rathod and Jain unbeaten, looked primed to tighten their grip on the final.

Brief scores: South Zone 149 trail Central Zone 384/5 in 104 overs (Yash Rathod 137 not out, Rajat Patidar 101; Gurjapneet Singh 3/74) by 235 runs.

- IANS