Vaibhav Sooryavanshi picks two wickets in four balls in Duleep Trophy
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made an immediate impact with the ball on Day 3 of the first quarter-final between East Zone and North East Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He failed to make it count with the ball, but the 15-year-old, who is also serving as East Zone vice-captain, claimed two wickets in four deliveries to put North East Zone under pressure. Kishan Lyngdoh and Imliwati Lemtur became his victims during the 28th over.
His first breakthrough came with the second delivery of the over, when Lyngdoh advanced down the pitch after Sooryavanshi sent down a three-quarter-length ball outside off. Lyngdoh attempted an aggressive shot but failed to maintain his shape, producing a leading edge towards cover. Substitute fielder Denish Das completed the catch to give Sooryavanshi his third First-Class wicket. The spinner then struck again just three balls later.
Sooryavanshi delivered a good-length ball around off stump to Lemtur, who stayed in his crease while attempting to defend. The batter managed only a thin outside edge, allowing keeper Ishan Kishan to move quickly and complete the catch. With that, Lemtur departed for four runs.
Meanwhile, the double strike gave East Zone a significant moment in the quarter-final as they are now close to getting the job done and sealing a spot in the semi-final.
Batting first, East Zone were put in trouble. They were reduced to 138/5 before Sudip Kumar Gharami and Shahbaz Ahmed made 146 and 167 runs, respectively. Courtesy of their powerful knocks, East Zone posted 467 runs in the first innings.
With the bat, North East Zone were no match for East Zone bowlers. Abhijit Sarkar claimed a five-wicket haul, while Shahbaz picked three, as the Rongsen Jonathan-led side was dismissed for 111 runs. They were asked to follow on, but nothing improved. Until Lunch on Day 3, the side is 102/8, as the side is now heading towards a heavy defeat. Anukul Roy has been a force to reckon with, claiming three wickets.
Mohammed Shami, on the other hand, hasn’t been used much and is yet to pick any wicket.
