Published By: Sayan Guha

Duleep Trophy Round 2 Day 2: Action, Drama, and Stellar Performances Take Centre Stage

Best batting, bowling highlights, and unexpected moments that stole the show on Day 2 of the Duleep Trophy

Watching a Duleep Trophy game is always interesting, but Day 2 of Round 2 was incredibly intense. With two matches in full flow, we witnessed some outstanding performances, unexpected situations, and the drama that only cricket can give.

India A vs India D: A lead worth watching

Let us start with India A and India D. On Day 1, India A struggled to get off to a good start, scoring 288/8. However, at the end of Day 2, things were looking better for them. After adding a few more runs in the morning to reach 290, their bowlers went down to work, giving India D a rough time (183) in the first innings. 

Top batting highlights

Devdutt Padikkal was India D's brightest star, batting with unwavering determination. His 92 was full of class, as he struck 15 boundaries without breaking a sweat. However, when Prasidh Krishna removed him just 8 runs short of a century, you could almost hear a collective grumble from India D's bench.

Pratham Singh and Mayank Agarwal spearheaded India A's second innings onslaught. Agarwal's steady 56 and Singh's unbroken 59 helped India A conclude the day with a solid 222-run lead (115/1). 

Top bowling performances

India A's bowling stars were Khaleel Ahmed and Aaqib Khan, who both took three wickets. They kept it close, and wickets kept tumbling. Khaleel, in particular, was on fire, ensuring India D never had a chance to settle in. 

India C vs India B: Runs galore

In the India C against India B encounter, the former dominated. India C scored 525 runs in their first inningsthanks to Ishan Kishan’s blistering 111 on day 1. On Day 2, their objective was to strengthen their advantage and put India B under strain.

Top batting performances

After Kishan, Manav Suthar's 82 off 156 balls was a pleasure to see. He wasn't in a hurry and built his innings piece by piece. He even hit three sixes to keep things interesting. For India B, Narayan Jagadeesan (67 not out) and Abhimanyu Easwaran (51 not out) fought hard, combining for an undefeated partnership of 124 at the close of the day. 

Top bowling highlights

Rahul Chahar was the standout of India C, capturing four wickets for 73 runs. He bowled with intent, putting the ball in difficult locations and inducing errors from India B's batters. Mukesh Kumar, too, had a good day, taking four wickets, although he let up a few more runs than he'd like. Nonetheless, both of them contributed significantly to keeping India B on the back foot.

Memorable moments (and a bit of drama)

You can't discuss Day 2 without addressing Shreyas Iyer's odd stroll to the crease. The India D captain walked in wearing sunglasses. Yes, you read that right: sunglasses. But it didn't bring him any luck. A seven-ball duck followed his grand entrance, and the only thing that could equal his cool factor was his swift return to the pavilion.

Another entertaining event was the back-and-forth between Padikkal and Prasidh Krishna. When Krishna dismissed his Karnataka teammate, it was a moment of victory for India A. Padikkal had been keeping India D's innings together, but Krishna's delivery eventually got him out. 

And don't forget Sanju Samson's brief but spectacular return in the Duleep Trophy. His attempt to entice Aaqib Khan did not go as expected. The top edge sailed to mid-on, and Samson strolled back after only five runs.