Kolkata: Ishan Kishan reaffirmed his commitment to red-ball cricket with a glittering hundred as East Zone took control of the Duleep Trophy final with a commanding start against South Zone at Chennai on Sunday.
East Zone finished the first day at 385/4 with Kishan making an unbeaten 111. The left-hander’s 10th first-class century came from 135 balls, contained 14 fours and a six, and took him past 4,000 first-class runs. More importantly, it came in a final in which East’s batting depth threatened to make the South attack look increasingly ordinary.
There was a time when Kishan’s commitment to the longer format was questioned. He had walked away from domestic cricket, a decision that ultimately cost him his central contract. On Sunday, with his team needing substance rather than reputation, he supplied plenty of it.
He did not rush towards his hundred. The innings was built in stages. There were long periods of conventional defence against Shreyas Gopal’s leg spin and spells in which Mohammed Siraj and Chama Milind tested him with short bowling. Kishan absorbed it, rode the bounce and waited. Then, as his fifty approached, the change was unmistakable.
Gopal tossed one up and Kishan came down the track, lofting it over deep midwicket for six. Milind’s short balls were pulled with increasing authority—one was hammered behind square, another disappeared through the same region. When Gopal dropped short, Kishan rocked back and thumped the ball past square leg. The aggression was not reckless so much as earned.
His hundred arrived in fitting fashion. Gopal floated one just outside off and Kishan leaned into it, driving on the rise past the non-striker, beating mid-off. He removed his helmet, raised his arms and accepted the applause.
For East, however, the story had begun much earlier after Kishan had elected to bat.
Abhimanyu Easwaran, playing on his 31st birthday, had looked set for his 28th first-class century. He made 72 from 86 balls, striking 10 fours and a six, and outscored teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during an opening stand of 100. Sooryavanshi had entertained, as he has so often done, reaching 44 from 37 balls. Milind eventually found the answer—a short ball at 129kph pulled imperfectly towards deep midwicket where the catch was taken.
Easwaran’s exit was considerably more painful. At 133/2, he steered off-spinner Tripurana Vijay to point and set off. Shikhar Mohan took a few steps down the pitch before changing his mind and sending his partner back. By then Easwaran was nearly halfway down. He turned, but the fielder had moved quickly enough. The run-out was confirmed, leaving Easwaran to walk away without even looking back towards Mohan.
Mohan made 85 from 120 balls before Milind’s short-ball plan finally worked. He pivoted to turn one towards the leg side, but the ball took the inside edge and hit the stumps. That merely brought Kishan and Kumar Kushagra together.
Kushagra finished unbeaten on 63 from 75 balls, with five sixes, while Kishan continued to bat deep into the evening. East lost only four wickets, and every major batter except Sudip Kumar Gharami had made a substantial contribution. South, meanwhile, were left to contemplate a long second day as East established the terms of the final.
Brief scores: East Zone 385/4 in 79 ovs (Ishan Kishan 111*, K Kushagra 63*, A Easwaran 72, S Mohan 85, V Sooryavanshi 44) v South Zone.
