Tilak says his biggest goal is to play Test cricket.
| Photo Credit: R. RAGU

A five-day First Class match in India — usually reserved for knockout fixtures — is designed to give teams a chance to push for an outright result. 

At the same time, it tends to produce oddities because the focus is on securing the first-innings lead, which is enough to claim victory. Once that is achieved, the contest often fizzles out. Yet the teams still have to go through the motions until at least Tea on the final day, even if the outcome is a foregone conclusion.

The 2026 Duleep Trophy final between South Zone and East Zone in all likelihood will go down in history as one such game after the latter secured the crucial first-innings lead on the fourth day at the MAC Stadium here.

South, resuming at 242 for six in pursuit of East’s massive 708, was bundled out for 336 at lunch on Wednesday.

Realistically, South’s best hope was to delay the inevitable, and that relied on Tilak Varma getting a big one. For the first two hours of the penultimate day, the left-hander did just that, positively countering Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar’s burst with the second new ball.

C.V. Milind supported his captain, with the duo adding 78 for the seventh wicket. But once Shikhar Mohan had Milind caught at short-leg, the end was near.

Tilak, in a rush to get to his landmark, fell agonisingly short by one run while trying to push for a single, only to give a simple return catch to off-spinner Kounain Quraishi.

Despite a 372-run lead, Ishan Kishan opted to bat the opposition out of the game and, at stumps, East was 212 for five in its second innings, ahead by 584 runs.

Though the contest was virtually sealed, a healthy crowd had gathered in the hope of seeing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi put on a show. The southpaw, though, perished early, stumped while attempting to charge down off-spinner T. Vijay.

Kishan — who smashed 270 in the first essay — continued from where he left off, stroking his way to a flamboyant 80 (98b, 9×4, 3×6). He was severe on spinners Vijay and Shreyas Gopal, repeatedly stepping down at every opportunity and carting them all over the park to entertain the fans.

The scores: East Zone — 1st innings: 708 in 163 overs.

South Zone — 1st innings: Ricky Bhui c Kushagra b Mukesh 1, N. Jagadeesan c Abhimanyu b Shikhar 32, Devdutt Padikkal c sub (Denish) b Mukesh 62, Shaik Rasheed lbw b Shami 27, Tilak Varma c & b Quraishi 99, R. Smaran c Kushagra b Shami 23, Shreyas Gopal c & b Quraishi 26, C.V. Milind c Gharami b Shikhar 43, T. Vijay run out 1, Mohammed Siraj lbw b Mukesh 1, M.D. Nidheesh (not out) 0; Extras (b-10, lb-4, nb-4, w-3): 21; Total (in 107.3 overs): 336.

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-70, 3-126, 4-129, 5-174, 6-240, 7-318, 8-322, 9-336.

East Zone bowling: Shami 16-5-42-2, Mukesh 19-1-62-3, Quraishi 39.3-8-99-2, Abhijit 8-0-34-0, Shikhar 20-0-67-2, Sooryavanshi 4-0-10-0, Kishan 1-0-8-0.

East Zone — 2nd innings: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi st. Jagadeesan b Vijay 8, Abhimanyu Easwaran c Padikkal b Siraj 3, Shikhar Mohan lbw b Rasheed 52, Ishan Kishan c Padikkal b Nidheesh 80, Kumar Kushagra (batting) 34, Sudip Kumar Gharami run out 2, Md Kounain Quraishi (batting) 26; Extras: (b-7): 7; Total (for five wkts. in 51 overs): 212.

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-13, 3-139, 4-154, 5-160.

South Zone bowling: Siraj 7-2-17-1, Vijay 17-1-84-1, Shreyas 12-1-57-0, Nidheesh 5-1-14-1, Rasheed 7-1-20-1, Bhui 3-0-13-0.

Published – September 09, 2026 06:32 pm IST

England’s Jamie Smith hits the ball past Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis for a boundary during day two of the First Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester.
| Photo Credit: AP

Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith pushed England into a 23-run first-innings lead over Sri Lanka in the first test on Thursday by hitting 72 not out as his team reached 259-6 before play ended early on a weather-affected Day 2 at Old Trafford.

Replying to the Sri Lankans’ 236 all out, England also had 56 from Harry Brook and 42 from Joe Root in between showers that washed out the morning session and then led to the teams walking off the field with more than an hour still to play after tea.

Smith, playing in his fourth test match after being brought in as England’s new wicketkeeper for this summer, struck knocks of 95 and 70 during the 3-0 series win over the West Indies last month and now has a third test half-century to his name. He has hit five fours and one six so far and was in the middle with Gus Atkinson (4 not out) at the close of play.

The Sri Lankans are still in the match, though, and that’s perhaps more than they could have hoped for when reeling on 6-3 after seven overs of Day 1. They battled to stay in touch with England, with seam bowler Asitha Fernando claiming figures of 3-68.

Rain meant no play was possible before an early lunch was taken at 12:30 p.m. local time (1130 GMT). Play started 45 minutes later.

England resumed on 22-0 and there was early success for Sri Lanka after two DRS overturns in the space of three balls.

Dan Lawrence successfully reviewed an lbw decision to stay in the middle, only for Sri Lanka to review an lbw call off Asitha Fernando that wasn’t given against Ben Duckett and get the left-handed opener out for 18.

England stand-in captain Ollie Pope (6) was bowled by the same pacer two overs later, Lawrence edged behind off Vishwa Fernando for 30, and Root then nicked behind Asitha Fernando to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal.

Brook and Smith put on a stand of 62 to steady things, with Brook reaching a half-century for the 13th time in 15 tests to continue a strong start to his career in the format.

Smith has also taken an immediate liking to the test arena and carried England past Sri Lanka’s total after tea.

It’s the first of three tests between the teams.