Duleep Trophy Match 3, Day 3 Tea Review: India Green inflict setbacks in the first session

India Blue continued to press their dominance on the India Green side after the latter side lost four wickets in the opening session of day three to give away the advantage to the Gautam Gambhir-led side.

After conceding 707 runs in the first innings, the India Green had an uphill task staring at their faces when they came out to bat this morning. But, the India Red bowlers seemed to be in full flow and did not let their opposition settle down at any moment.

The start wasn’t an ideal one. Opener Murali Vijay, who was playing his 99th Test, had a very short stay in the middle, getting out for just 6. Jalaj Saxena, coming at no.3, was also out cheaply.

Robin Uthappa held things together briefly with Saurabh Tiwary but the duo could not sustain longer than a putting a 44 run stand spanning 8.3 overs. The well-set Uthappa nicked one behind after misjudging an attempt to cut Pankaj Singh’s away swinger. His departure was quickly followed by the dismissal of Tiwary who was run out just 9 runs later.

The chances of rest of the batting unit surviving the opposition bowling attack look little bleak. The sudden fall of wickets just before the tea session put India Red has made their task of avoiding an innings defeat.

Brief Scores

India Blue: 707 all out (C Pujara 166; S Gopal 5/173)

India Green: 109/4 in 26 overs (Robin Uthappa 41; Abhimanyu Mithun 1/13)

Updated till Tea session (More to follow…)