Need of the hour: Tilak curbed his attacking instincts to build a steady innings.
| Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
South Zone weathered a blistering early morning bowling effort from India pacer Gurnoor Brar (four for 70) to finish day two of the Duleep Trophy semifinal 90 runs in the green at the BCCI Centre of Excellence here on Monday.From an overnight 40 for two, South was reduced to 80 for five. But skipper Tilak Varma played all day (106 batting, 225b, 7x4), and combined with Shreyas Gopal (87, 169b, 11x4) for an excellent, match-turning 175-run partnership.If not for a flurry of wickets towards close – from 255 for five to 270 for nine – South would have been in a healthier position. Nevertheless, with Tilak still around, South can hope to turn the screw further on day three, starting from 285 for nine.It was an uncharacteristic innings from the usually dashing 23-year-old Hyderabad batter. His half-century took 149 balls and contained no boundaries, and the first hit past the ropes came on the 154th delivery, helping South secure the first-innings lead.
Gurnoor wreaked havoc early on Monday.
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