West Zone batsmen pile on the agony for East

For the second day running, West Zone kept piling on the runs in the Duleep Trophy match against East Zone at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. At close of play on the second day, West Zone were 526/6 with Nayan Mongia (13*) and Sairaj Bahutule (34*) at the crease.

Resuming at the overnight score of 274/1, West Zone added 252 runs in the 90 overs bowled on the day, losing five wickets. It was another nightmare of a day for the East Zone bowlers as they struggled in conditions extremely conducive to batsmen at the much-famed Eden Gardens.

Nilesh Modi was the first batsman to be dismissed on the second day, trapped in front of the wicket by Sanjay Raul. Modi made 118 runs off 372 balls, striking 13 boundaries. Kanitkar and Modi added 320 runs for the second wicket partnership.

Hirshikesh Kanitkar was distinctly unlucky to miss out on his double hundred, bowled by Sanjay Raul after making 197 runs off 301 balls. The former India international struck two dozen boundaries and two sixes in his 433-minute long stay in the middle.

Sitanshu Kotak and Kaushik Aphale added 106 runs for the fourth wicket, with both the batsmen reaching the half-century mark. East Zone bowlers found some luck in a brief period of the second day, picking up three quick wickets.

Veteran left-arm spinner Utpal Chaterjee picked up the wickets of Kotak (50) and Amol Majumdar (10). Aphale (51) was cleaned up by off-spinner Sourasish Lahiri.

In the post-tea session, Mongia and Bahutule dropped anchor and all they could manage was a mere 55 runs for the seventh wicket partnership in 24.2 overs. Chatterjee (50-14-132-2), Lahiri (46-10-116-1) and Raul (39-5-90-2) tried their very best on a day when batting reigned supreme.