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Rain ruins Duleep Trophy opener in Bengaluru

Ishan Porel celebrates a wicket K Sivaraman

India Blue 112 for 6 (Gaikwad 30, Porel 3-26) drew with India Green

The first match of the Duleep Trophy 2019-20 between India Blue and India Green was abandoned without Blue completing their first innings after being put in to bat. Persistent rain and a wet outfield at the Just Cricket Academy Ground on the outskirts of Bengaluru ensured that there was no play on the last three days. Both Blue and Green got one point each.

On a truncated first day, Blue had moved to a shaky 112 for 6 in 49 overs, but that was the only cricketing action in the match.

Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been among the runs recently, top-scored with 30 off 63 balls. Ankit Bawne was unbeaten on 21, having faced 103 balls. For Green, Rajasthan left-arm seamer Tanveer Ul-Haq continued the form he had shown in the last season - which netted him 51 wickets in the Ranji Trophy - prising out the opening duo of Gaikwad and Snell Patel, while Ishan Porel, the 20-year old Bengal seamer, tore through the middle order.

Porel's first wicket was that of Blue captain Shubman Gill, who was coming into this match on the back of a rich vein of form with India A on their tour of West Indies, caught behind for just 6. He later got Anmolpreet Singh and Jalaj Saxena to end with 3 for 26.

Ankit Rajpoot, who shared the new ball with Tanveer, took one wicket. The seamers bowled the majority of overs on the first day, and Rahul Chahar, fresh off a T20I debut for India, bowled just five overs with the conditions helping the quicker men.

Blue will now take on India Red in the next match at Alur from August 23.

India Blue 1st innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st26SS PatelRD Gaikwad
2nd11RD GaikwadShubman Gill
3rd21AR BawneRD Gaikwad
4th17AR BawneAnmolpreet Singh
5th6AR BawneRK Bhui
6th28Jalaj S SaxenaAR Bawne
7th3AR BawneSaurabh Kumar