India Blue inched closer to clinch the Duleep Trophy tournament after taking a massive 337-run lead in the first innings against India Red on the penultimate day of the summit clash at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground on Monday
India Blue bowler R Jadeja (R) celebrates the dismissal of India Red batsman Stuart Binny on 98 runs during third day's play of the Duleep Trophy final match in Greater Noida on Monday. Pic/PTI
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Greater Noida: India Blue spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Karn Sharma picked seven wickets between themselves as they restricted India Red to 356 in reply to the Blues' mammoth first innings total of 693-6 declared on Day Three of the Duleep Trophy final at Greater Noida Sports Complex yesterday.
Jadeja was the wrecker-in-chief picking five wickets for 95 runs while Sharma got two for 85 runs.
India Blue were one for no loss in the second innings after openers Mayank Agarwal and Gautam Gambhir faced just two overs before stumps were drawn for the day.
The scenario would have been worse if not for some rearguard action from Stuart Binny (98), Amit Mishra (65) and Kuldeep Yadav (59) which gave some respectability to the Red total.
Though the experts before the start of the final predicted that the pitch will assist the spinners, as there were enough cracks on it. But with the India Blue piling on 693 runs in the first innings in two days, it didn't look that the pitch assisted Red's spinners Mishra and Yadav.
Brief Scores: India Blue 693/6 declared (Cheteshwar Pujara 256 not out, Sheldon Jackson 134; Amit Mishra 2-171) and 1/0 lead India Red 356 (Stuart Binny 98, Mishra 65; Ravindra Jadeja 5-95) by 338 runs.
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