Bengaluru, Sep 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad produced a batting masterclass to rescue West Zone from early trouble and put them in control at stumps on day one of 2025/26 Duleep Trophy semi-final against Central Zone at the BCCI COE Ground 2 on Thursday.
Walking in at 10/2 with fast bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Deepak Chahar making the ball talk, Gaikwad dug in before opening up once conditions eased to hit a humungous 184 off 206 balls, laced with 25 fours and a six.
He found support first from Aarya Desai (39) in a partnership of 82 runs for the third wicket and later from Tanush Kotian, with whom he shared a crucial 148-run stand for the sixth wicket. At stumps, Kotian was unbeaten on 65 and Shardul Thakur remained 24 not out, with West Zone firmly placed to build further on day two’s play.
Electing to bat first, West Zone began on a shaky note as Khaleel struck early by trapping Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw for just four. Chahar then had Harvik Desai caught at first slip. Gaikwad and Desai took their time before getting crisp boundaries off the bowlers.
But Desai’s lively innings ended on 39 after being beaten for pace while trying to pull off Harsh Dubey and the ball crashed into the off stump. Gaikwad, however, stood firm to bring up his fifty off 72 balls. But after lunch, Khaleel returned to flatten skipper Shreyas Iyer’s middle stump for 25, followed by Shams Mulani being stumped off Saransh Jain.
But Gaikwad marched forward to reach his eighth first-class century in 131 deliveries and reached his 150 in just 178 balls. After Kotian raised his 17th first-class half-century, Gaikwad fell after he was stumped off Saransh. Kotian and Thakur shared an unbeaten 36-run stand till stumps arrived on a day West Zone got back the initiative after an early collapse.
Brief Scores: West Zone 363/6 in 87 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 184, Tanush Kotian 65 not out; Khaleel Ahmed 2-70, Saransh Jain 2-109) against Central Zone
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