In a series of remarkable events, East Zone stamped their dominance in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final fixture, handing North East Zone a comprehensive defeat by an innings and 210 runs on Tuesday, August 25. The performance highlighted the evident gap of quality between the two teams, as East Zone controlled every phase of the game from start to finish.
East Zone's complete dominance
After being inserted to bat, East Zone overcame early troubles to post a massive first-innings total of 467. Bengal batter Sudip Kumar Gharami set the foundation with a fighting 146, but the centrepiece of the innings was Shahbaz Ahmed's stellar career-best 167. Smashing 14 boundaries and four big sixes, the left-handed all-rounder turned the tables to put East Zone firmly in command.
ALSO READ: Gen Z cricketers and parents protest at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium; Here’s why
Big win for East Zone in Duleep Trophy
North East Zone's first innings crumbled under pressure, managing just 111 runs. Tripura pacer Abhijit Sarkar tore through the lineup with a fiery spell of 5/20, while Shahbaz complemented his batting heroics by clinching three wickets for 20 runs. Forced to follow on, the North East Zone showed a small piece of resistance but folded for 146.
Anukul Roy led the second-innings rout with a five-wicket haul, wrapping up the game in just three days. Shahbaz Ahmed was given the Player of the Match award for his all-round brilliance, capping off an amazing win as East Zone marched smoothly into the Duleep Trophy semi-finals.