Ishan Kishan steps up in Duleep Trophy final, hits double hundred to derail South Zone

Kishan's marathon knock came on a flat Chepauk surface, where the first-innings lead could prove decisive in determining the winner. The East Zone captain first put together a big partnership with young Kumar Kushagra before joining hands with Anukul Roy, taking his team past.

Kishan's knock was one of maturity and composure. The left-hander has enjoyed a sensational revival of form in domestic cricket over the last couple of years, and that was on show once again on Monday as he repeatedly found gaps and refused to give.

What Happened

Kishan hit 25 fours and two sixes en route to his double century, with his milestone coming in the 122nd over of the match as East Zone reached 550/5. The Chepauk track has been a batter's paradise so far, with the majority.

• East Zone are now expected to push towards a total in the range of 600-650 before declaring their innings and putting South Zone under pressure.

• The left-hander repeatedly used the pull shot to find the boundary, with 11 of his 25 fours coming through that stroke.

• Kishan, in particular, made the most of the freedom offered to him.

Key Details

His defensive fields have allowed the East Zone batters to pick up runs around the ground, with South Zone seemingly unwilling to take risks after the top order put them under pressure on the opening day.

• South Zone captain Tilak Varma has struggled to find a way to stem the flow of runs.

• Apart from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (44) and Sudip Gharami (6), every East Zone batter has scored at least fifty, playing their part in a mammoth total.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by India Today as more details emerge