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Saini’s efforts followed Musheer Khan‘s impressive 181 runs, which led India B to a first-innings total of 321. KL Rahul and Riyan Parag remained at the crease with India A trailing by 187 runs.
Saini, who has been out of favor since the 2021 away series against Australia, made a notable impact by dismissing India A captain Shubman Gill and opener Mayank Agarwal.Gill was bowled for 25, and Agarwal, who was making a comeback, was caught for 36.
The first-wicket partnership between Gill and Agarwal was broken by Saini just before tea when he bowled an incoming delivery that dismissed Gill. Gill had earlier hit a few elegant boundaries off left-arm seamer Yash Dayal.
Agarwal, out of favor since the 2022 Pink Ball Test against Sri Lanka, was looking comfortable during his time at the crease. He played an impressive cover drive off Saini but eventually fell to a leg-side delivery, caught by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Pant made a spectacular dive to his left to complete the catch, sending Agarwal back.
Playing his first red-ball game since January, Saini is aiming to secure more wickets to strengthen his comeback, which includes appearances for India A against England Lions and South Africa A.
Rahul and Parag faced challenges from the pace trio of Saini, Mukesh Kumar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. The pitch offered substantial assistance to the fast bowlers, making runs hard to come by.
Rahul had a slow start, taking 14 balls to score his first run and was nearly dismissed when Nitish dropped a catch off Mukesh with Rahul on three.
Parag, known for his aggressive batting, had to curb his natural instincts under the circumstances. However, he managed to play a well-timed drive through the covers off Saini. The duo has so far added 68 runs for the unbroken third wicket.
Musheer continued his stellar performance from the first day, adding 76 more runs to his overnight score. His partnership with Saini stood firm until after lunch. Musheer’s 484-minute vigil ended when he was caught in the deep by Parag off Kuldeep Yadav.
The 205-run stand between Musheer and Saini became the highest for the eighth wicket in Duleep Trophy history, eclipsing the 197-run partnership by Abhishek Nayar and Ramesh Powar in 2010.
Akash Deep was instrumental in wrapping up the India B innings, taking four wickets for 60 runs. Saini’s support helped Musheer build the innings to a formidable total before the momentum shifted post-lunch.
India B’s bowlers have so far managed to keep India A at bay with disciplined performances. Saini’s breakthrough came at a crucial time, just as the opening pair was settling. This effort keeps India B in a commanding position after Musheer’s significant contribution with the bat.
As the match proceeds, Saini’s role in curtailing the India A innings will be crucial. His performance in this match could play a significant part in his journey back to the national team.
Meanwhile, KL Rahul and Riyan Parag will aim to build on their partnership to reduce the deficit and place India A in a more competitive position. The game remains finely poised with both teams having opportunities to dictate the outcome over the coming days.
Brief scores: India B 321 in 116 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 30, Musheer Khan 181, Navdeep Saini 56; Akash Deep 4/60) lead India A 134/2 in 35 overs (Mayank Agarwal 36, Riyan Parag 27, KL Rahul 23; Navdeep Saini 2/36) by 187 runs.
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