da dobrowin： Central Zone, riding on Gagan Khoda’s unbeaten 246, piled on theagony for South Zone on the second day of their Duleep Trophymatch at the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Stadium in Goa on Friday
Staff Reporter02-Feb-2001Central Zone, riding on Gagan Khoda’s unbeaten 246, piled on theagony for South Zone on the second day of their Duleep Trophymatch at the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Stadium in Goa on Friday. Resuming at178 for two, Central Zone lost only one wicket the whole daywhile amassing a total of 469 for three. This was in reply toSouth Zone’s first innings total of 141.Khoda was in his elements. He struck the ball crisply and showeddeep concentration and total determination. By close, the 26-year-old righthander from Rajasthan had faced 416 balls and hit 29 foursand five sixes. Khoda, who played in two ODIs against Bangladeshand Kenya in 1997-98, was at ease against the reputed South Zoneattack which included Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, SunilJoshi, Aashish Kapoor, Vijay Bhardwaj and Venkatapathi Raju.Khoda and the other overnight batsman Md Kaif took the score to282 before the latter was caught by wicketkeeper Naidu off Kapoorfor 69. He batted three hours, faced 179 balls and hit seven foursand a six. The third wicket partnership between Khoda and Kaifadded 176 runs off 57.3 overs. That was South Zone’s only successof the day for Khoda and Yere Goud then came together to sharean unbroken fourth wicket stand of 187 runs off 54.2 overs. Atstumps, Goud who got a century in the last match against champions NorthZone was on 75 compiled off 163 balls with eleven hits tothe ropes. South Zone who are already in arrears by 328 runsface another tiring day in the field on Saturday.