Duleep Trophy: Ian Singh, Paliwal, Saini tons prop North to 591-8

Ian Dev Singh 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 in Kochi on Saturday.

No 3 batsman Singh had hit 17 fours and two sixes in his 263-ball innings, while Paliwal (106) and Saini (101) were the other notable contributors. Saini smashed eight fours and four sixes in his 137-ball innings.

In reply to North Zone's first innings score, East Zone reached 32 for one in 14 overs, still needing 559 runs with nine wickets remaining in the first innings at the Nehru Stadium.

Earlier in the day, after returning hurt on 95, Singh came back to bat again 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 returned to the crease after the fall of the eighth wicket at the score of 521 and then brought up his century in 243 balls – his innings was inclusive of seven fours and one six.

Earlier, resuming at an overnight score of 329 for 2, North Zone lost Mandeep Singh (60).

For East, Gupta (4/182) and Shahbaz Nadeem (3/147) shared seven wickets between them, while Ashok Dinda picked one wicket.

Brief Score:

North Zone: 591 for 8 decl in 194 overs (I D Singh 145; Sunny Gupta 4/182)

East Zone: 32 for one in 14 overs (PP Das 14; Harbhajan 1/2).