Axar Patel’s (86, 118b, 6x4, 6x6) rescue act, which included an 84-run ninth-wicket partnership with Arshdeep Singh, on Thursday prevented India D’s Duleep Trophy fixture against India C from turning into a one-sided affair at the Rural Trust Development Stadium.
Axar sparked the contest to life in the second session with two sixes and a boundary off Manav Suthar, and reinvigorated the spectators, who were drifting into a post-lunch snooze.
The second spinner, Hrithik Shokeen, faced the same fate as Suthar, with Axar heaving him for sixes over long-on and long-off off successive deliveries.
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The southpaw was indiscriminate in attacking pace too, lofting Himanshu Chauhan down the ground for two boundaries, again off consecutive balls, earlier in the innings.
Arshdeep made hay while the sun was shining, and fancied himself to a pull shot against Himanshu to pocket six runs. But the rearguard collapsed with the return of Vyshak Vijayakumar, who turned to bowling bouncers at the tail-ender.
Arshdeep, intending to upper-cut a short-pitched delivery, ended up picking the backward point fielder.
With the last man in, and Axar 14 runs away from a second First-Class century, the latter miscued his slog sweep off Shokeen to deep midwicket, bringing India D’s innings to an end at 164.
Abishek Porel and Baba Indrajith combined for an unbeaten 58-run fifth-wicket alliance to lead India C to 91 for four at Stumps, cutting the team’s deficit to just 73 runs.
But the twin strikes from Harshit Rana and Axar ensured India D was still in the contest, given its batting implosion earlier in the day.
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Inserted in overcast conditions, Shreyas Iyer’s side was cornered, with five of its batters returning inside the first 11 overs.
The bounce on offer became evident on the fifth delivery of the day when Atharva Taide was rushed into his hook shot and holed out at fine-leg. Yet, Vyshak opted against a short-ball ploy, the proven nemesis of the talismanic Shreyas, and squared up the India D skipper with lateral movement, getting him to edge to the keeper.
Only thrice did Devdutt Padikkal resist the length deliveries from Vyshak, before driving his fourth delivery straight to Ruturaj Gaikwad at cover. Ricky Bhui was the next to perish against the short-pitched delivery, top-edging an attempted pull shot against Himanshu.
At 34 for five, Axar and KS Bharat were forced to drop anchor. But it proved only a momentary halt in the slide when Suthar induced Bharat’s outside edge that was pouched at first slip.
India D plunged further into disarray at 76 for seven when Saransh Jain was run out due to a mix up with Axar. The all-rounder, however, stood vindicated with his match-saving heroics thereafter.
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