BENGALURU: Rajat Patidar hit a second 100 in three matches as Central Zone took firm command of the final of the Duleep Trophy at the BCCI's Central of Excellence Ground (1) on Friday.
In overcast conditions, Patidar, in the company of Yash Rathod, mixed caution with aggression to take the game away from South Zone. The pair put on 167 runs for the fourth wicket; in the process, they also punctured an attack riding high after a string of early wickets in the morning session.
When the morning session began, South Zone knew they needed to make immediate in-roads if they had designs of remaining in the contest. That's what the duo of V Kaushik and Gurjapneet Singh produced. They found some appreciable movement off the deck and they used it to challenge both edges. Very soon, Central were reduced to 3/93 after Gurjapneet had picked up two wickets with some nippy deliveries.
But Patidar, in-form, assumed centrestage. Even though the captain's first two scoring shots were boundaries, what he did well to get his innings going was in finding the gaps and running.
At the other end, Rathod was content in playing the waiting game (he scored his first run off the 20th delivery he faced) but Patidar, a busy batter irrespective of the format, was proactive. If the ball was there to be driven, he showed the full blade. To the spinner, he played on both sides off the wicket, including employing the sweep.
Apart from one moment when a no-ball reprieved him he was out leg-before but the bowler had overstepped -- this was a trademark Patidar innings.
Just after the Sun had broken out in the post lunch session, he went on the offensive. If his first 50 had come off 73 deliveries, his second came off just 42 balls. In this phase, he was in destructive mood. One Ricky Bhui over went for 4, 6, 4, 2, 2 with runs coming from all around the wicket — everything from a mow over long on to a paddle sweep.
He repeated that trick to Gurjapneet but the Ludhiana-born TN pacer won that battle after he dismissed him, caught behind.
But once Patidar was dismissed, Rathod continued, remaining unbeaten on 137 when stumps were drawn. With Central leading by 235, this match is seemingly headed only one way.
Patidar not authorised to speak to press
When the assembled press put in the request to speak to Rajat Patidar for the customary post-day press conference, that particular request was denied. No explanation was forthcoming. Kumar Kartikeya, who picked up four wickets for Central on Thursday, spoke to the press after the end of Day One. Interestingly, the RCB captain has been out of bounds for all press requests in the ongoing tournament.
Brief scores: South 149 vs Central 384/5 in 104 ovs (Rathod 137 n.o, Malewar 53, Patidar 101, Saransh 47 n.o, Gurjapneet 3/74).