Shib Shankar Paul took 4/67

Rajkot: Sourav Ganguly wiped out North Zone’s tail as East Zone recorded a nine wicket victory with a day to spare in the Duleep Trophy at the Madhavrao Scindia ground on Friday.

Shib Shankar Paul (4/67) produced another inspirational spell in the morning, taking four wickets, and then an unbroken century partnership between Arindam Das and Vasant Saravanan made it look simple for East.

East, however, missed the bonus point by a whisker. Both teams were fined 10 per cent of their match fee for bowling four overs short on the opening day.

Whatever the result, the match will go down as one where Sourav delivered when pushed to the wall. He took up the challenge and proved a point to the national selectors. Sourav’s form and fitness will put the Doubting Thomases on the backburner.

After scoring a superb 117 in the first innings, the East captain ended with a match haul of four for 56.

Requiring 128 runs for an outright win, East reached the target in just 27.3 overs, Das and Sarvanan adding 118 for the second wicket. North were earlier dismissed for 240.

The morning started with some good seam bowling by Ranadeb Bose and Paul. Paul, though, was the most successful. He was spot on and used the conditions well to put the opponents under pressure.

North openers Ravneet Ricky and Shikhar Dhawan put on 105, but both fell to Paul on Thursday. Paul again struck on Friday when he dismissed Dinesh Mongia, who was caught by Deep Dasgupta.

Another seasoned campaigner Pankaj Dharmani departed after adding just three runs to the team total of the 132. This time S.S. Rao did the damage.

Sangram Singh also fell to Paul, fishing outside the off-stump. He offered a straightforward catch to Rohan.

Sarandeep Singh found his stumps uprooted by another Rao delivery.

North were tottering at 169 for eight but V. R. V. Singh and Amit Mishra added 71 runs for the ninth wicket.

Sourav then took charge. In the 80th over of the innings, he scalped two wickets in successive deliveries.

VRV was bowled by Sourav for 47 (4x4) and then Amit Bhandari offered a simple return catch. Mishra remained unbeaten on 36 (4x4).

It was then left to the East batsmen to carry on with the good work. Shiv Sundar Das and Arindam made a good beginning, but Shiv Sundar was adjudged leg before by a Amit Bhandari after scoring only eight runs.

Thereafter it was the partytime for Arindam and Sarvanan.

Sarvanan showed his class. His cover drive off Gagandeep Singh which earned him his first 50 of the match was something to cherish.

He hit the winning runs dispatching two consecutive boundaries off Sarandeep.