Laxmi (66) and Deep (61) added 120 for sixth wicket

Ahmedabad: East Zone captain Sourav Ganguly was dismissed without scoring again in the second innings of the Duleep Trophy final at the Motera on Sunday. West Zone took a seven-run lead finishing their first innings at 157. At close on the second day when bad light forced an early end, East were 176 for nine in their second essay.

Sourav was trapped leg before off the very first ball he faced. Zaheer Khan, who had accounted for the former Team India captain in the first innings, was the bowler.

The wicket was not easy for the batsmen. India discard Parthiv Patel and Niraj Patel added a valuable 39 for the sixth wicket after West Zone resumed at their overnight score of 61 for five. Parthiv showed loads of patience in scoring 43. He stayed at the wicket for 147 minutes and hit six boundaries.

Bengal offie Sourashish Lahiri was among the pick of the bowlers scalping four for 35. Sourav finished with figures of three for 45, while Shib Shankar Paul, Ranadeb Bose, and Shahbaz Nadeem equally shared the rest.

East started their second innings disastrously, losing first innings’ top-scorer Arindam Das in the third ball of the innings for nought. At one stage, East were 39 for five. Zaheer Khan removed the East top-order claiming Arindam, Shiv Sundar Das and Sourav’s wickets.

It was thanks to a 120-run sixth wicket partnership between Deep Dasgupta and Laxmi Ratan Shukla that East managed to claw back. Deep scored 61 off 130 deliveries, during his 193-minute stay at the crease.

Shukla, who top-scored with 66 off 100 balls, seemed confident about the outcome of the match. “We have to bowl well and win it, no matter what the target is,” Shukla told The Telegraph. Shukla hit five fours and a six during his 156-minute stay at the wicket.

Another performer for East, Lahiri wants to concentrate on the immediate task at hand. “It was Shukla and Deep, who set the stage for a fightback in the second innings and we have to cash in on that,” Sourashish said.

There were also some heated moments with words being exchanged between Munaf Patel and Shukla after two short-pitched deliveries hit him. The umpires had to intervene after Zaheer Khan also joined in the spat between the two players.

His concentration disturbed, Shukla fell soon after to a brilliant stumping by Parthiv off Sairaj Bahutule.

Sourashish departed in the next over, becoming Zaheer’s fourth victim while Deep miscued a half volley from Ramesh Powar to give a simple catch to Bahutule.

Earlier, some last minute fireworks from Zaheer ensured that West overtook East Zone’s score.