Duleep Trophy: Harshit brings North Zone back in game

Young Delhi all-rounder Harshit Rana showed his all-round prowess as North Zone finished the opening day of their Duleep Trophy semi-final against South Zone on even keel after being bowled out for a paltry 198.

At stumps, South Zone were precariously placed at 63 for 4 with out-of-favour India opener Mayank Agarwal batting on 37. The rain robbed at least an hour's play in the final session.

The day's hero was Delhi's 21-year-old fast bowling all-rounder Rana, whose quick-fire 31 off 22 balls, batting at No. 9 took North closer to 200-run target that seemed a distant reality after the seventh wicket fell at 123.

Celebrating his maiden India U-23 call-up, Rana then bowled a brisk spell coming in one-change, first castling South skipper Hanuma Vihari (0) with sheer pace and then trapping burly Andhra man Ricky Bhui (0) plumb in front off successive deliveries.

This was after medium pacer Baltej Singh (2/21 in 7 overs) had removed the dangerous B Sai Sudharsan (9) caught by skipper Jayant Yadav and senior Karnataka batter Ravikumar Samarth (1) snapped by Prashant Chopra.

South Zone skipper Vihari's decision to field and utilise whatever help was available on the opening day was vindicated by his new-ball bowler Vidwath Kaverappa from Karnataka, who took 5/28 in 17.3 overs.

North Zone were in all sorts of trouble as they slumped to 18/3 inside the 14th over, losing openers Dhruv Shorey (11) and opener Prashant Chopra (5) in quick succession. One-drop Ankit Kalsi (2) edged one behind the stumps.

Prabhsimran Singh (49 off 52 balls) and Haryana man Ankit Kumar (33), then stemmed the rot with a 79-run stand for the fourth wicket.

The pint-sized Punjab man was attacking from the word go with six boundaries and a six over long-off of left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore's bowling.

Once medium pacer KV Sasikanth removed Singh, one short of his half-century, there was another collapse with another four batters back in the hut with an addition of 47 runs.

In a tight corner at 144 for 8, Rana and Vaibhav Arora (23 off 50 balls) added 29 for the ninth wicket and then another 25 invaluable runs were added for the final wicket between Arora and Baltej (2). The 54 runs for the last two wickets proved to be immensely helpful as North bowlers had something to bowl at.

Baltej and Rana then made life difficult for South batters save Agarwal, who had four boundaries -- two off Baltej and one each off Rana and Vaibhav Arora respectively.

In his comeback red-ball game post hamstring injury, Washington Sundar bowled nine overs, finishing with figures of 1/44.