The manner he walks to the crease takes guard and settles in his stance…Yash Dhull oozes confidence and belief.
Dhull is technically impressive too with his judgement in the corridor, a still head, body balance in offence and defence and footwork that adjusts to the length.
Dhull’s iridescent 193 (243b, 28x4, 2x6) here at the quaint CAP ground on Saturday was a masterclass from the 19-year-old Delhi youngster.
And North Zone, replying to East’s 397, was 433 for three at close on day three and all but through to the Duleep Trophy semifinals, on a pitch that just refuses to deteriorate.
Himanshu Rana (62 batting, 82b, 8x4) who struck the ball firmly, and skipper Mandeep Singh (34 batting), were together at stumps.
The brilliant Dhull was the cynosure, batting with composure and flair.
The solidity in his methods with a sound defence is unmistakable. Dhull has a forward press as a trigger but doesn’t commit himself.
Those flowing strokes of pacemen and spinners off either foot, the scorching cover-drives, the blazing cuts, the scintillating straight drives, the pulsating pulls and the whiplash flicks were all there.
And he found the gaps with a surgeon’s precision.
Well begun is half done and the opening pair of Dhull and Manan Vohra (44) put on 128 in 29.2 overs.
Vohra, who struck the ball crisply, was stumped off left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem.
There was no let-up for East. Dhull and Dhruv Shorey added 192 for the second wicket. Shorey (81, 163b,9x4) played some handsome shots in front of the wickets.
Dhull, dismissed off a no-ball once, missed out on a double hundred playing on to paceman Manishankar Murasingh. Shorey was cleaned up by seamer Akash Deep.
However, East’s strikes were few and far between. North is in the box seat. Dhull ruled on day three.
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