Duleep Trophy: Rajat Patidar, Yash Rathod hit centuries as Central tighten grip over South

BENGALURU: After lunch on Friday as South Zone skipper Mohammed Azharuddeen led his team back to the field, he glanced at the Duleep Trophy placed along the boundary line. He knew his team’s hope of laying hands on the trophy was slipping away, and their move to go with four pacers had backfired. On a rather flat deck with some assistance for spinners, South Zone went into the final with a solo specialist spinner, Ankit Sharma, and they paid heavily for it. On Friday, Central skipper Rajat Patidar (101; 115b; 12x4; 2x6) and Yash Rathod (137 n.o; 188b; 11x4; 1x6) scored elegant centuries to stretch their lead to 235. After bowling out South for a paltry 149 on Day 1, Central were 384/5 in 104 overs when stumps were drawn.The match being played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence on the outskirts of the city is closed to the public, but that hasn’t stopped people from standing along the compound wall. That handful of spectators was treated to a sumptuous feast of runs. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Patidar, who was overlooked for India ‘A’ series against Australia ‘A’, continued to pile runs, scoring his second century of the tournament.The Madhya Pradesh batter, who has scores of 125, 66, and 77 in the previous two games, didn't take long to get down to business. On the third ball he faced —bowled by V Koushik—he found the gap through mid-off and followed it up with an elegantly struck four through midwicket. Patidar put on a display of T20 temperament coupled with red-ball pedigree. He used his wrist artistically and found gaps with ease. He put Central ahead past the 150-mark with a boundary through backward square leg off Ricky Bhui. On 44, he got a lifeline. Patidar was trapped in front by left-arm spinner Ankit, but off a no-ball. Patidar went a tad quiet after that, but brought up his half-century (73b) off a delectable late-cut through point. Bhui, who kept wickets for South in the 2023 edition of the tournament, didn't trouble the batters with his leg spin; instead, Patidar took a special liking towards him.Having upped the scoring after crossing 50, Patidar danced down the pitch to hit Bhui over long-on for his first six. There were no nervous 90s for Patidar, as he approached the century with a drive through extra covers off Gurjapneet Singh and then added an upper cut maximum. He sneaked a single to bring up his 15th First-Class century and soon fell to a short delivery from Gurjapneet, which he gloved to wicketkeeper Azharuddeen.At the other end, Rathod, who shared a 167-run association with Patidar, continued to blunt the tiring South attack.Rathod, the previous season's highest Ranji Trophy run getter, took time to get an eye in. He got off the mark on the 20th delivery he faced and was beaten regularly for a while before settling down. He upped his game after bringing up his half-century with a boundary off Gurjapneet. In the last 10 overs of play, Rathod went into a shell, but given the way he batted earlier, it holds promise of more on Saturday.Earlier, South would have fancied their chances after their pacers tied down the Central batters with a disciplined line and length backed by movement. While V Koushik dislodged Akshay Wadkar's off-stump, Gurjapneet sent Shubham Sharma's middle stump flying. Danish Malewar (53) then settled the Central nerves with a half-century. Brief scores: South Zone (I innings): 149 all out in 63 overs (Tanmay Agarwal 31; Kumar Kartikeya 4-53, Saransh Jain 5-49) vs Central Zone (O/N:50/0): 384/5 in 104 overs (Danish Malewar 53, Rajat Patidar 101, Yash Rathod 137 batting, Saransh Jain batting 47; Gurjapneet Singh 3/74).