Khoda helps Central seize initiative

An unbeaten century by captain Gagan Khoda enabled helped Central Zone seize the early initiative against West in the Duleep Trophy cricket league match in Gurgaon on Saturday.

Central were 277 for two, with Khoda batting on 145 at stumps on the first day at the Devi Lal Cricket stadium.

Devendra Bubela was the other not out batsman on 44 after Khoda won the toss and elected to bat.

Rohit Prakash scored a sedate 73, his 164-ball knock spanning three hours and 34 minutes.

But it formed part of the huge 170-run stand for the second wicket, which consumed 372 balls and took the momentum away from West.

West seemed to have gained the early advantage after Rakesh Patel (1-49) bowled Test batsman Sanjay Bangar (3) in the seventh over of the day but Khoda and Prakash ensured the decision to bat first did not backfire.

Sairaj Bahutule's men did not help their cause by giving Khoda and Prakash three reprieves.

Prakash survived a run-out chance on 25 while Khoda was dropped twice, by Nilesh Kulkarni, on 51, and by Hrishikesh Kanitkar, on 90.

Khoda's century came off 181 balls and contained nine fours and three sixes before the opening batsman added four more boundaries to his credit by stumps.

Bahutule (1-44) gave his team the much-needed breakthrough when he had Prakash caught by Vinayak Mane.

Bundela and Khoda, however, proved to be another stumbling block and have added 91 runs for the unbroken third wicket so far.

Scoreboard

Central Zone (1st innings):

S Bangar b R Patel 3
G Khoda batting 145
R Prakash c Mane b Bahutule 73
D Bundela batting 44

Extras: 12

Total: (for 2 wickets in 91 overs) 277

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-186.

Bowling: Munaf Patel 18-3-49-0, Rakesh Patel 22-4-63-1, Nilesh Kulkarni 19-0-58-0, Sairaj Bahutule 17-2-44-1, Ramesh Powar 15-2-53-0.