Sooryavanshi's tactical awareness plots South Zone's wickets as East star with ball

Chennai: East Zone vice-captain Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plotted a couple of South Zone wickets as the teenage sensation played a key role in the dismissals of Ricky Bhui and star batter Smaran Ravichandran in the Duleep Trophy final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Sooryavanshi insisted on a review to overturn the umpire's not-out call for Bhui's caught-behind appeal and then used Mohammed Shami late before tea for the scalp of Ravichandran, the highest run-scorer of the previous Ranji Trophy season.

After East Zone put up a mountain of 708 on the back of captain Ishan Kishan's 270, East struck early with the ball in the first session of Day 2. Mukesh Kumar zipped one down the leg side as Bhui tried guiding it to the leg side. East Zone appealed, but the umpire remained unmoved as Sooryavanshi appealed to Ishan to go for the review. As it turned out, there was a spike when the ball was next to the bat, with Kumar Kushagra gloving the catch behind.

BCCI Domestic also took note of Sooryavanshi's suggestion. Take it...take it. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (handshake emoji) Review. The vice-captain urges the captain to take the review, and it turns out to be successful," BCCI Domestic wrote in a social media post.

Meanwhile, Sooryavanshi helped his team with another wicket later. With Mukesh and Mohammed Shami doing the damage, South were 174/4 as minutes remained on the clock before tea. The 15-year-old was standing in as captain as Ishan went off briefly.

He brought in Shami for a quick burst before the break, and the veteran Indian seamer duly gave the reward back when he dismissed Ravichandran. Shami nicked the Karnataka batter behind on his drive outside the off-stump. The edge was not picked by the umpire, but Kushagra insisted on a review to Sooryavanshi and they got the big wicket after the ultra edge confirmed a spike.

Shami previously walked off the field after bowling seven overs and just two after the lunch break as he looked tired and needed treatment to his neck from the physio. He came back later and was utilised well by Sooryavanshi in the last few minutes before tea as South went down to 176/5 at break.

East had earlier made 708 on the back of a stellar 270 from Ishan. Kumar Kushagra (101), Shikhar Mohan (85) and Abhimanyu Easwaran (72) also put up strong knocks.

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