Duleep Trophy Final: West Zone vs South Zone - Day 1 (Morning Session)

 Duleep Trophy Final: West Zone vs South Zone - Day 1 (Morning Session)

West Zone won the toss and elected to field first in the highly anticipated Duleep Trophy final. Both teams have announced their playing elevens, and the stage is set for an intense battle at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

West Zone Playing XI:

1. P K Panchal (c)
2. Prithvi Shaw
3. H Desai (wk)
4. C Pujara
5. S N Khan
6. Surya
7. A Sheth
8. D A Jadeja
9. C T Gaja
10. A Nagwaswalla
11. Shams Mulani

South Zone Playing XI:

1. G H Vihari (c)
2. Mayank Agarwal
3. Ricky Bhui (wk)
4. Samarth R
5. Washington Sundar
6. Tilak Varma
7. R Sai Kishore
8. Vidwath Kaverappa
9. V Vyshak
10. Sachin Baby
11. Koushik V

Morning Session Recap:

West Zone's decision to field first seemed to have paid off as their bowlers made early inroads into the South Zone batting lineup. Samarth R was the first to depart, caught by H Desai off the bowling of C T Gaja for just 7 runs.

Mayank Agarwal, in his trademark aggressive style, provided some resistance with a quickfire 28 runs, including six boundaries. However, his innings was cut short by A Sheth, who induced an edge that was comfortably caught by S N Khan.

Tilak Varma and captain G H Vihari then combined forces to stabilize the South Zone innings. Varma displayed solid determination, reaching a well-fought 40 runs, including five boundaries and a six. However, he was dismissed by A Nagwaswalla, caught behind by H Desai.

At the lunch break, South Zone finds themselves at 116/3 with captain G H Vihari on the crease, unbeaten on 41 runs. Ricky Bhui, the wicketkeeper-batsman, is yet to score.

Both teams have shown great intensity and competitiveness in the opening session. West Zone's bowlers have been effective in picking up crucial wickets, while South Zone has fought back with determined batting from Vihari and Varma.

The match is finely poised as we await the action-packed afternoon session. The battle between the teams will continue to intensify as they strive to gain the upper hand in this highly significant encounter.

Note: The match blog will continue with updates after the lunch session. Stay tuned for more exciting action from the Duleep Trophy final!