Shami and Manishi Shine as East Zone Limits North in Duleep Trophy

Bengaluru, August 28 – Senior pacer Mohammed Shami demonstrated skill, though not sharp incision, but it was young left-arm spinner Manishi who significantly contributed to East Zone restricting North Zone to 308 for six on the first day of the Duleep Trophy quarterfinals on Thursday. Middle-order batter Ayush Badoni stood out with a stylish 63 off 60 balls on a pitch that offered little resistance, though the rest of the North batting lineup would regret not capitalizing on promising starts, following East's decision to bowl first.

The spotlight was on Shami, marking his return to First-Class cricket since November 2024. Shami appeared to be finding his rhythm in his initial spells, as the typical sharpness was missing. This could be attributed to him adjusting to the demands of long-form cricket once again. Though he occasionally beat the bat's outside edge, North openers, captain Ankit Kumar and Shubham Khajuria, handled his bowling without much trouble. Shami's first session read 5-2-10-0 and 3-0-10-0, largely at a measured pace, as he gauged the conditions and assessed his form. His third spell, post-lunch (4-2-9-0), showed glimpses of vintage Shami with increased speed and testing deliveries.

Occasional in-dippers challenged batters like Badoni and Nishant Sindhu, who had to cope with a few pad blows. The veteran bowler, aged 34, approached his second wicket opportunity only in his fourth spell (5-0-26-1) after Kumar Kushagra fumbled a catch against Kanhaiya Wadhawan at long-on. Shami eventually secured a wicket, dismissing Sahil Lotra, caught behind following a feeble play outside off-stump, settling the seasoned player.

Although not dominantly threatening with each delivery, Shami's 17-over figure of 1/55 would be reassuring. His ability to fluctuate the intensity of his spells without discomfort might encourage him to push harder in upcoming matches. Previously, Shami missed the flight to England for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy due to concerns about sustaining long spells in five-day cricket. However, this performance might have provided him and the selectors favorable indicators ahead of the home Test series against the West Indies.

Young Badoni was notably impressive, playing his aggressive game and his elegant drives on the up pleasing the spectators. Fresh off a strong performance in the Delhi Premier League, Badoni seamlessly adjusted back to the red ball. Unfortunately, he fell against the run of play, caught down the leg side off pacer Mukhtar Hussain while attempting a pull shot. This was emblematic of the day's play for North batters like Khajuria (26), Ankit (30), Yash Dhull (39), and Nishant (47), who failed to convert their starts into substantial innings, albeit at a good run rate.

A moment of concern for India pacer Mukesh Kumar arose when he spent nine overs off the field, addressing a hamstring issue between sessions. He returned, however, easing East's resolve after their bowlers had conceded runs heavily, with North compiling 139 in 34 overs despite losing three wickets. All three wickets were claimed by the young 21-year-old Manishi from Jamshedpur, utilizing his precision to exploit errors in the batting. –

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