Abhimanyu Easwaran’s unbeaten 151 helped Rest of India (RoI) reach 289 for 4 at the end of day three of the Irani Cup in Lucknow. However, they still trail Mumbai, who scored 537 in their first innings, by 248 runs.
On the morning of day three, Mumbai could only add one run to their overnight total of 536 for 9. In the third over, Mukesh Kumar bowled Mohammad Juned Khan, securing his fifth wicket and leaving Sarfaraz Khan stranded on 222.
RoI started nervously, losing captain Ruturaj Gaikwad to Juned at second slip with only 40 runs on the board. However, Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan steadied the innings with an 87-run partnership for the second wicket. Sudharsan fell for 32, lbw to Tanush Kotian after lunch, while Devdutt Padikkal and Ishan Kishan contributed 16 and 38, respectively, both falling to Mohit Avasthi.
Easwaran, in contrast, looked composed at the crease, reaching his century in just 117 balls. Although he slowed down after his hundred, Dhruv Jurel supported him well, scoring an unbeaten 30 off 41 balls. Easwaran reached his 150 in the penultimate over of the day, with Jurel hitting Kotian for a four and a six in consecutive deliveries. By stumps, the pair had formed an unbroken 61-run partnership for the fifth wicket, providing RoI with hope as they head into the final day.
Leave a Reply