Bengaluru, Sep 4 (PTI) Narayan Jagadeesan showcased a masterful blend of caution and aggression, crafting an impressive unbeaten 148 that propelled South Zone to a commanding 297 for three against North Zone on the first day of the Duleep Trophy semi-final at the BCCI-CEG ground. Jagadeesan, recently called up to the India squad for the fifth Test against England at the Oval, remained flawless throughout his 260-ball innings, accentuated by 13 boundaries and a pair of sixes. He constructed a rock-solid 103-run opening partnership with Hyderabad's Tanmay Agarwal (43) and followed it with an authoritative 128-run stand for the second wicket alongside Karnataka left-hander Devdutt Padikkal (57). The North Zone bowlers delivered 81 overs, unable to unsettle Jagadeesan.
Anshul Kamboj (1/47 in 15 overs) and Aquib Nabi (0/41 in 14 overs) failed to maintain early pressure as Jagadeesan navigated their spells with dexterity.
The stumper from Tamil Nadu had a moment of fortune with an early edge off Kamboj that was caught by North keeper Kanhaiya Wadhawan. However, it was deemed a no-ball due to overstepping by the field umpire. Initially adding 79 in the first session for the opening stand, Jagadeesan accelerated after notching his half-century from 124 balls. His approach shifted gears seamlessly to reach the next fifty in a brisk 60 balls. Jagadeesan took a particular liking to Himachal Pradesh spinner Mayank Dagar, extracting 33 runs from just 22 deliveries, including two massive sixes and three well-timed boundaries. Padikkal showcased precision in shot selection, favoring drives and cuts during their 168-ball association. While he appeared set for a substantial knock, he fell prey to a sharp delivery from Kamboj, edging one to the keeper just before lunch.North Zone found brief respite as Mohit Kale was trapped leg-before by Haryana spinner Nishant Sindhu.
Brief Scores: South Zone 1st Innings: 297/3 in 81 overs (Narayan Jagadeesan 148*, Devdutt Padikkal 57; Anshul Kamboj 1/47). (Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)