India D pacer Vidwath Kaverappa set the tone on Day 1 of the 2024 Duleep Trophy match against India A, with a superb delivery first-up, sending opposition captain Mayank Agarwal packing for just seven runs. This early breakthrough put India A on the back foot at the Rural Development Trust Stadium in Anantapur on Thursday, September 12. In the sixth over, Kaverappa bowled a good-length delivery angled towards the off-stump, inviting Agarwal into a shot.
The ball swung off the pitch catching the outside edge, and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson made no mistake as Agarwal was sent back after a brief 14-ball stay. Vidwath Kaverappa’s spells of fire didn’t stop there. He immediately removed Pratham Singh for seven off 33 balls to leave India A in trouble.
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The middle order tried to fight back as Riyan Parag launched a counterattack. The right-hand batsman played a quick 37 off 29 balls, laced with five boundaries and a six. Just when his aggressiveness was getting into a rhythm, Arshdeep Singh struck to send Parag back which stalled India A’s momentum. Then, Tilak Varma, who never looked like getting settled, was castled by left-arm spinner Saransh Jain for 10 off 33 balls.
Mayank Agarwal dismissed for 7 in Duleep Trophy pic.twitter.com/gE5n8TFb9n
— Dev Sharma (@Devsharmahere) September 12, 2024
Meanwhile, the Men’s Selection Committee did some important reshuffling for the second round, adding Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Akash Deep into the mix for the Bangladesh Test. Consequently, Mayank Agarwal ended up leading the India A side with fresh inclusions like Pratham Singh and Tilak Varma getting into the XI.
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India D skipper Shreyas Iyer opted to bowl first, and at lunch, India A were 115/5 with Kumar Kushagra and Shams Mulani in the middle. Kaverappa, along with Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Saransh Jain, picked one wicket each as India D remained in front during the game.
