Internet Desk: India Red beat India Green by 219 runs in the opening match of Duleep Trophy 2016-17 on the final day of the first first-class game to be played under lights with a pink ball. The Yuvraj Singh-led team bowled Suresh Raina’s side out for 277 in the second innings to open their account in the points table of the ongoing tournament.
Requiring 280 runs with three wickets in hand on the last day of the game, captain Suresh Raina resumed India Green’s chase with Ashoke Dinda. While the left hand batsman looked to hold the fort, 22 runs into the day’s play the lower-order batsman lofted a Nathu Singh delivery towards mid-on and returned to the pavilion.
Pragyan Ojha then joined his captain in an effort to extend the innings while India Red closed in on the victory. The pair added 36 runs until Raina who had reached his 90 with a six over long-off struck the next ball straight mid-off leaving the side 275 for nine. In the next over Akshay Wakhare sealed the win with the wicket of Pragyan Ojha.
Brief scores: Day 1 – India Red 1st inn 161/10 in 48.2 overs (A Mukund 77, S Sharma 4/62, P Ojha 3/19);India Green 1st inn 116/7 in 35 overs (S Raina 35, K Yadav 3/26, N Singh 3/32)
Day 2 – India Green 1st inn 151/10 in 45.4 overs (S Tiwary 50, N Singh 6/53); India Red 2nd inn 344/3 in 78 overs (A Mukund 162*, S Chatterjee 114, G Mann 28*, A Rajpoot 1/63)
Day 3 – India Red 2nd inn 486/10 in 116.5 overs (A Mukund 169, G Mann 82, S Gopal 5/123)India Green 2nd inn 217/7 in 46 overs (R Uthappa 72, S Raina 42*, K Yadav 5/55)
Day 4 – India Green 2nd inn 277/10 in 56.2 overs (S Raina 90, K Yadav 6/88).