Duleep Trophy | Rain delays play; India Blue extend lead on Day 4
© BCCI
Only 33 overs of play was possible due to sloppy surfaces on the ground on Day 4 of the Duleep trophy final. India Blue lost three wickets in the limited playing time, as they extended their lead to a massive 476 runs.
Brief Scores: India Blue 693 for 6 dec (Pujara 256*, Jackson 134, Gambhir 94) and 139 for 3 (Agarwal 52, Gambhir 36) lead India Red 356 (Binny 98, Mishra 65, Jadeja 5-95) by 476 runs.
It was not possible for the play to go on, on the penultimate day of the Duleep Trophy final, after rain played the spoil-sport at the Shahid Vijay Singh Patheek Stadium in Greater Noida, on Tuesday. The game resumed only after 6.30 pm, local time, after just 26 balls were bowled initially. While the drainage system in the stadium was responsible for much of the delay, leaving many slippery patches on the field, play started four and half hours late to the normal scheduled time. Mayank Agarwal made another fifty for India Blue, as Kuldeep Yadav bagged two wickets by the end of the Day 4.
Rain delays play
After heavy rain left the ground totally water-logged, Super Soppers remained for much of the afternoon as the play was delayed for more than four hours from the initial 2 pm starting time. Poor drainage system in the stadium added to the difficulties of the groundsmen who finally were able to clear out the surface for the players to walk in. After just 26 balls being bowled, India Red's bowlers complained of slippery patches on the surface which could have caused injuries delaying the play by one more hour.
Bowlers in good rhythm
After the ground was clear of slippery areas, India Red's bowlers were hit for boundaries initially by Mayank Agarwal and Gautam Gambhir but spinner Kuldeep Yadav steadied the ship for India Red as his turn and bounce troubled Gambhir. Finally, Yadav was able to get one to drift into middle stump and straighten to trap Gambhir plumb in front of middle.
Kuldeep then had Mayank Agarwal by inviting him into a lofted shot, only to be caught by Nathu at deep midwicket. Dinesh Karthik then misjudged Amit Mishra's flighted delivery, leaving keeper Ankush Bains with an easy stumping. Rohit Sharma stood at 22 off 48 balls with Ravindra Jadeja as his partner as the day ended.
