Rathour, Chopra in 237-run opening stand

Skipper Vikram Rathour and Askash Chopra put on 237 runs off 61.4 overs for the first wicket as holders North Zone ended at the happy position of 336 for three off 90 overs on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy match against South Zone at the IGMC stadium in Vijayawada on Thursday.

Rathour won a good toss and he and Chopra laid the foundation for an imposing North Zone total. On a batsman friendly wicket, they dealt with the varied South Zone attack confidently. Neither the seam of Dodda Ganesh, Thiru Kumaran or Robin Singh, nor the spin of Venkatpathi Raju, Sunil Joshi and Aashish Kapoor bothered them and it was not until just before tea that the stand was broken when Chopra was caught at silly point by substitute Nandakishore off Raju for 110. Chopra who batted 254 minutes, faced 207 balls and hit 17 fours. Yuvraj Singh hit the first ball he faced to the boundary and was out off the next. He charged down the wicket to Raju and was stumped by Tilak Naidu.

Rathour and left hander Dinesh Mongia however prevented a collapse by adding 88 runs for the third wicket off 24.2 overs before the captain was well caught on the leg side by a diving Tilak Naidu off Ganesh. Rathour, who batted 350 minutes, faced 237 balls and hit 16 fours and a six.

Mongia, who batted aggresively, was unbeaten with 60 off 89 balls at stumps. He has so far hit 12 fours. Keeping him company is Virender Shewag with four. Raju took two for 86 off 28 overs and Ganesh one for 37 off 12 overs. But the other four bowlers, all of whom have played for India, went wicketless.