Mukesh, Sarkar bowl out Central Zone for 266

India fast bowler Mukesh Kumar and fellow right-arm medium pacer Abhijit Sarkar scalped three wickets apiece to bowl out Central Zone for 266 against East Zone on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy semifinal here on Sunday.

East Zone captain Ishan Kishan’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss was bang on as Mukesh (3/56) and Sarkar (3/38) shared six wickets between them, while Mohammed Shami (2/42) and off-spinner Md Kounain Quraishi (2/49) picked up two wickets each to bundle out Central Zone in 80.1 overs. Rinku Singh (60 off 88), and opener-cum-wicketkeeper Aryan Juyal (46) were the top-scorers for Central Zone.

Central Zone never got the going after being sent into bat as they lost wickets at regular intervals to lose half of their side at 125 by 45th over. Rinku and Harsh Dubey (27) then tried to stabilise the innings, stitching together 55 runs for the sixth wicket to keep the momentum for Central Zone.

But once Dubey was caught in plumb in front of the wicket by Quraishi in the 60th over, Central Zone’s innings fell apart.

Saransh Jain (13) and Aryan Pandey (22) got starts but failed to capitalise.

Tail-ender Yash Thakur (30 off 26) used his big-hitting skills to get Central Zone forward but the innings eventually folded inside the 300-run mark.

Brief Scores:

Central Zone: 266 all out in 80.1 overs (Rinku Singh 60, Aryan Juyal 46; Abhijit Sarkar 3/38, Mukesh Kumar 3/56).