On Thursday, Shams Mulani led India A’s fightback with an unbeaten 88 off 174 balls as they reached 288/8 on the opening day of their second-round Duleep Trophy match against India D at the Rural Development Trust Stadium in Anantapur. Mulani’s innings featured 8 fours and 3 sixes, and he found crucial support from Tanush Kotian. The pair added 91 runs for the seventh wicket, rescuing India A from a precarious 144/6. Khaleel Ahmed also contributed with some boundaries, helping India A to their final score.
Mulani demonstrated solid technique, particularly in his backfoot play, and effectively dealt with challenges from India D’s bowlers. He struck three boundaries through point and a hook shot off a bouncer from Arshdeep Singh. Despite a challenging spell from off-spinner Saransh Jain, Mulani remained resolute. He hit a six over mid-wicket and another six off a length delivery from Saurabh Kumar. These shots helped him bring up his half-century.
Kotian, who supported Mulani well, also played aggressively against the spinners, scoring boundaries through cover. However, his innings ended when he mistimed a heave off Saurabh Kumar and was caught at mid-on, falling short of a century.
Earlier in the day, India A’s top order struggled against the pace attack. Mayank Agarwal and Pratham Singh fell to the pacers, while Riyan Parag briefly revitalized the innings with a quick 37 before being dismissed. Tilak Varma and Shashwat Rawat also fell to the pace attack, leaving India A in a challenging position at 93/5. Kumar Kushagra’s 51-run partnership was broken when he drove a full-length delivery and was caught at gully.
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