Duleep Trophy: Khurasiya, Yadav storm East citadel

Central Zone's Amay Khurasiya and Jai Prakash Yadav put a feeble East Zone attack to the sword on the first day of their Duleep Trophy encounter at the Green Park at Kanpur on Thursday. At stumps on the first day, Central had progressed swiftly to 231/3 off just 53 overs after the start had been delayed to 13.20 hours due to heavy fog.

After Central were put in to bat, they lost opener Amit Pagnis in the eighth over of the day to eighteen year old Bihar speedster Mihir Diwakar. Khurasiya and Yadav then proceeded to wade into an attack, depleted by the absence of Debashis Mohanty, with gusto in a second wicket stand of 182 off just 37.4 overs.

Hell broke loose with the introduction of former Indian left arm spinner Utpal Chatterjee in the 18th over of the innings which Khurasiya massacred for 18 runs (4 . . 4 4 6). The hapless Chatterjee's second over was even more expensive, going for 19 (6 1 6 6 . .), including one six by Khurasiya and two by Yadav. The last of those sixes also brought up Yadav's fifty (off 76 balls) and simultaneously the century of the innings.

Chatterjee was immediately withdrawn from the firing line and replaced by his fellow left arm spinner Sukhbinder Singh. At the other end, seamer Javed Zaman went off after a fairly longish spell of 11 overs for 37 and off spinner Sanjay Raul made an appearance. Neither Sukhbinder nor Raul were able to make any impression on the marauding duo and Khurasiya brought up his individual fifty (off 46 balls) with a six in Sukhbinder's second over.

Central went into the tea break at 168/1 off 32 overs. There was no stopping Khurasiya who reached his hundred off 96 balls, but with the score at 212, he was dismissed by the persevering Zaman for 110 (108 balls, 15 fours, 4 sixes). Nine runs later, Zaman struck again, in his next over, rattling the stumps of Yadav for 95 (160 balls, 10 fours, 3 sixes. By this time Chatterjee had been restored to the attack and the veteran made amends with a niggardly spell to finish with figures of 10-2-51-0, his last eight overs having cost just 14. Mohd. Kaif (12) and Gagan Khoda (2) took Central through to stumps without further hiccups.