India 290 and 1 for 115 (Agarwal 56, Pratham 59*) lead India d 183 (Padikal 92, Khalil 3-39, Aqib 3-41) from 222 runs
Khalil Ahmed’s Indian career hasn’t exactly taken off, but a good IPL has opened the door for the white ball to return to Zimbabwe in July for the first time since 2019. Now, Khalil is working to get back on a regular diet. – Class Cricket.
The ongoing Duleep Trophy fixture is just his 14th match since his debut in 2017, and after Yash Dayal jumped him into the Indian Test squad for Bangladesh, Khalil had another chance to impress. On Friday, he took his five wickets from the opening round with three more in the first innings to control India A.
After adding just two runs to their overnight 288 for 8, India A bowled out India C for just 183, with Khalil taking 3 for 39 in a brilliant spell of swing and seven bowling.
While he bowled just eight overs, he was able to create opportunities and keep the batsmen guessing with his late movement and lift. He dismissed the Atharva Tide with a wicked innings that he shouldered off the arms on the third ball of the innings and then dismissed Shreyas Iyer for seven balls in his second over.
Iyer, visibly troubled by the movement away and a short ball that he somehow managed to get out of, fell when he lobbed a full delivery at mid-on, he was full for the shot. Failed to commit as he hung back at the crease. .
Khalil’s third was Zaheer Khan Esque which he managed to angle from around the stumps as he bent one back late on to hit Ricky Bhoi on the pads. Buoy was over balanced and stuck flat in front.
Khalil’s fire was met by the intensity of youngster Aqib Khan from Uttar Pradesh at one end. Just 12 first-class games old, Aqib isn’t particularly quick but makes up for it with his control off the pitch and minute deflections. In what is possibly his highest-profile first-class appearance to date, Aqib remained unfazed by the quality of the batsmen against him.
One of the first three wickets in his spell was that of the returning Sanju Samson, whose stay lasted just six balls as he mistimed a pull towards mid-on. Aqib took 3 wickets by giving 41 runs.
For India D, only Devdutt was among the Pedekal runs, a punchy 92 with brilliant cover drives and a solid backfoot game, especially from his state mate Parsid Krishna, who added to his 11-4-30- Bowled much better than the figures of 1. Recommend
Parsed had the last laugh, however, when he had a pedicle that quickly developed to deliver to the wicketkeeper. Pedicle’s 92 came off just 124 balls with wickets falling all around him. He hit 15 fours in his innings.
After a 107-run lead, Mayank Agarwal and Pratham Singh joined a tired attack to score half-centuries at the end of the day, before Agarwal struck in the final moments of the game off an innocuous delivery from Iyer. I caught the return catch.
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