North Zone Beat West Zone by 52 Runs in Duleep Trophy Quarterfinal

North Zone staged a dramatic comeback to defeat West Zone by 52 runs in their Duleep Trophy quarterfinal at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on August 26, securing a semifinal spot against South Zone. The victory was completed in just 6.3 overs on the fourth and final day, after North Zone had been on the brink of defeat the previous evening.

West Zone resumed the final morning needing 67 runs with three wickets remaining, having been reduced to 220 for seven at stumps on Day 3. However, they were bowled out for 234 without adding a single run to their overnight score. Left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq provided the decisive breakthroughs, dismissing Tanush Kotian with the second ball of the morning and later trapping Urvil Patel leg-before to end the chase. Tushar Deshpande also fell to Mushtaq, edging to slip after a brief resistance.

The match had swung decisively on the third day. West Zone appeared comfortable at 195 for three, powered by a commanding 111-run fourth-wicket partnership between captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Musheer Khan. Gaikwad scored 66 off 70 balls, while Musheer anchored the innings with 96 off 126 balls. However, a stunning collapse in the final 33...