Parag, Rawat fifties strengthen India A’s push for win

Stumps • Starts 4:00 AM

Day 3 – India A lead by 333 runs.

India A 297 and 270 for 6 (Parag 73, Rawat 53, Kamboj 2-52, Suthar 2-75) lead India C 234 (Porel 82, Narang 41, Avesh 3-64, Aaqib 3-43) by 333 runs

Riyan Parag and Shashwat Rawat strengthened India A’s position on the third day of the final round of Duleep Trophy fixtures in Anantapur.

Having taken a 63-run lead, swift half-centuries from Parag (73) and Rawat (53) helped stretch their lead to 333 at stumps with four wickets remaining. The pair added 105 for the fourth wicket, with the partnership broken when left-arm spinner Manav Suthar had Rawat.

This was Parag’s first half-century of the competition. For Rawat, the 23-year-old Baroda batter, this was a second big score in the match, to go with 124 in the first innings, his sixth first-class century in just his 17th game. Three of his hundreds have come in 2024. Kumar Kushagra, the Jharkhand wicketkeeper, finished the day unbeaten on 40 with Tanush Kotian for company.

India C’s hopes of getting close to India A’s first-innings 297 were snuffed out by Avesh Khan, who picked up two of the three wickets to fall. India C managed to add just 18 to their overnight total.

Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani, who dismissed top scorer Abishek Porel for 82 on Friday, picked up Anshul Kamboj, the other wicket to fall, ending with 2 for 30.

India A are currently placed at No. 3 in the four-team competition and need an outright to have a chance of clinching the Duleep Trophy.

Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo