Ishan Kishan’s 270 Powers East To 708
Ishan Kishan produced a magnificent 270 to remind the selectors of his red-ball credentials as East Zone piled up a mammoth 708 against South Zone on the second day of the Duleep Trophy final here on Monday.
Kishan’s marathon knock, which spanned 522 minutes and 334 balls across nearly two days, formed the centrepiece of East’s imposing total, while Kumar Kushagra added a fluent 101 to further deepen South Zone’s troubles.
Ishan Kishan Double Hundred Dominates
Kishan’s monumental innings came in the presence of three national selectors and showcased his ability to combine aggression with patience in demanding conditions.
The left-hander had reached his century in 122 balls on the opening day but took 148 balls to move from 100 to 200, deliberately slowing down to exhaust the South bowlers and build an imposing total.
He completed his second first-class double hundred in 270 balls by driving part-time spinner Devdutt Padikkal through the covers.
Once past 200, Kishan accelerated dramatically, racing from 200 to 250 in only 31 balls. Spinners Shreyas Gopal and Tripurana Vijay came under severe pressure, with Kishan hitting two sixes off each.
He smashed 94 runs off 100 balls against Shreyas, while Vijay conceded 70 from 88 balls as Kishan continued to dominate the spin attack.
Kumar Kushagra Adds Sixth Hundred
Kishan found an ideal partner in Kumar Kushagra, who completed his sixth first-class century during a productive fifth-wicket partnership.
Kushagra scored 101 from 132 balls, striking eight fours and five sixes. He played confidently on both sides of the wicket before his innings ended with a casual pull against Vijay.
His dismissal, however, did little to halt East Zone’s march towards a massive total.
Kishan also added 140 runs with Anukul Roy, who made 40 from 86 balls, further stretching South’s bowling resources.
South Zone Bowlers Under Pressure
South Zone’s bowling attack again struggled to contain East’s batters on a placid pitch.
Mohammed Siraj, who endured an expensive first day, once again failed to make a significant impact as East’s batters continued to score freely.
Kishan used his trademark pulls and drives to keep the scoreboard moving, with 22 fours coming from those two shots.
The only significant discomfort for the East skipper came when left-arm pacer C V Milind struck him on the abdomen, requiring brief medical attention.
Eventually, fatigue began to take its toll, but Kishan continued his assault before his extraordinary innings finally ended.
Kishan Falls Short Of Triple Hundred
Kishan’s hopes of joining the elite list of Duleep Trophy batters to score a triple hundred were eventually ended by Vijay.
The East skipper struck the spinner straight into the hands of Ravichandran Smaran near the sight screen to depart for 270.
He missed out on joining Raman Lamba and Gagan Khoda as Duleep Trophy triple-centurion, but his innings had already transformed the final.
Kishan’s dismissal came only after East had crossed 700, with the wicket falling in the closing stages of the second day.
South Zone eventually claimed East’s final wicket to finish the innings at 708 and will begin their first innings on Tuesday.
