Duleep Trophy 2019 | Mahipal Lomror ton keeps India Green at bay

08/31/2019

19-year-old Mahipal Lomror struck his third first-class century to push India Red closer to achieving parity with India Green’s first innings total. Lomror’s 126 and Karun Nair’s 90 meant India Red were 404 for nine at stumps on Day 3 in reply to India Green’s total of 440 all-out.

On a day filled with equal measures of enthusiasm and exasperations, India Red strode closer to match India Green's first innings efforts with the bat. Leading the charge were two of India's most promising talents, namely Lomror and Nair. Whilst the former, still looking for a breakthrough inning, weaved a magnificent hundred, the latter, more experienced player failed to convert his flourish into a big one. Nair was just 33 away from a second successive ton at the start of play on Day 3. But soon after the first hour of play, the Karnataka batsman threw it away, leaving the onlookers utterly frustrated. This is the second time Nair has been dismissed in the 90s in as many games – he was out on 99 against India Blue in the first innings of the previous match.

After watching all this unfold from the other end, the 19-year old Lomror from Rajasthan made the most of his opportunity to compose his century, which included 14 fours and three sixes. The teenager stitched together vital partnerships with the lower-middle order en route his ton to steer his side closer to the 400-run mark. After Lomror fell, the last wicket pair of Avesh Khan and Sandeep Warrier ground out an unbeaten 36-run stand to carry the innings through to stumps, with the team still needing to knock off 36 runs to gain a lead in their first innings. With just one day remaining and the game likely to end in a draw, India Green would hope for lead in the first innings to secure a berth in the final.

Dharmendrasinh Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers for India Green with a four-fer that included three of the top five wickets.