Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 12: Ian Dev Singh of Jammu and Kashmir posted a scintillating 145, while Rajat Paliwal and Nitin Saini also scored unbeaten centuries as North Zone amassed a mamoth 591 for eight declared in their first innings against East Zone on the third day of the Duleep Trophy at Kochi today.
Talented Ian hit 17 fours and 2 sixes in his 263-ball innings, while Paliwal (106) and Saini (101) were the other notable batsman. Saini needed eight fours and four sixes in his 137-ball innings.
In reply to North Zone’s first innings score, East Zone could reach 32 for one in 14 overs, still needing 559 runs with nine wickets remaining in the first innings at the Nehru Stadium here.
Returned hurt on 95, Singh came back to bat again today after Mandeep Singh was dismissed by Sunny Gupta in the 128th over. Singh completed her century in 194 balls and was finally removed by Gupta in the 159.3 over.
R S Paliwal also got retired hurt at the score of 95 with the team score of 440 for three. He came back to bat after the fall of the eighth wicket at the score of 521 and then brought up his century in 243 balls with the help of seven fours and one six.
Earlier, resuming at overnight score of 329 for 2, North Zone lost Mandeep Singh (60).
Gupta (4/182) and Shahbaz Nadeem (3/147) shared seven wickets between them, while Ashok Dinda took one wicket.
Meanwhile, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and president JKCA, Dr Farooq Abdullah has congratulated Ian Dev Singh for this landmark achievement.
The treasurer JKCA, Manzoor Wazir alongwith other office bearers in a congratulatory message to Ian wrote ” Congrats, You have become first player from J&K to score a century in a Duleep trophy match. Keep it up and be ready for the biggest circuit.”
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