East Crowned Duleep Champions

CHENNAI: The much-awaited declaration came around 2 pm, just before tea. As players shook hands, East Zone celebrated their third Duleep Trophy title, while South Zone could only heave a sigh of relief after spending much of the five-day contest slogging it out in the field. For the record, East were crowned champions by virtue of their first-innings lead.

The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium proved a happy hunting ground for East once again. Their previous Duleep Trophy triumph had also come at this venue, back in 2012.

The outcome had been a foregone conclusion by the time South were bowled out for 336, in pursuit of 708, at lunch on the fourth day. But East skipper Ishan Kishan was in no mood to let them off the hook, prolonging his team’s second innings even after the lead crossed 600 and then 700.

Md Kounain Quraishi’s unbeaten 116 — his maiden first-class century — compounded South’s misery and took East to 388 before the captains finally agreed to call it a day. East’s overall lead stood at a staggering 760 when the players shook hands. Quraishi first added 78 for the sixth wicket with Kumar Kushagra (34), before putting on another 150 for the seventh with Anukul Roy (64).

For Kishan, who extended his unbeaten run as a captain in first-class cricket to 16 matches, the title was a reward for East’s unity and togetherness. “I think I’ve been a good leader. The journey doesn’t end here. I think it was more about reading the situation. It’s a good transformation for me. I’ve been more calm, I’ve had more hunger. I wanted to lead from the front,” said Kishan, who scored 270 and 80 to win the Player of the Final award.

Mohammed Shami, who bowled his heart out in the sweltering and humid conditions, said winning the Duleep Trophy on his 100th first-class appearance made the triumph even more special. “Every player has put his heart and soul into this campaign. To achieve this in these conditions, in this heat, is outstanding. I was part of the squad when East won back-to-back titles in 2011-12. I always say this: you play for the badge. When you wear that crest on your chest, the level of cricket doesn’t matter. If you play for the badge, that hunger will naturally show. Your willingness to fight only grows when you play with that pride. My mindset is simple: whichever level I get an opportunity to play, I want to make it count and fulfil my responsibility towards the team,” he added.

South skipper Tilak Varma, who was adjudged Player of the Tournament, admitted the result was a disappointment. “We were doing better on day one, but when they scored 700, it was slightly tough chasing 700. We didn’t bowl that great, honestly. We were just thinking of batting for three days. We tried our best, but they totally outplayed us,” he said.