Spinners Shine as Central Zone Dominates South Zone on Duleep Trophy's Opening Day

In a commanding display of spin bowling, Central Zone's Saransh Jain and Kumar Kartikeya dismantled South Zone on the first day of the Duleep Trophy final, ESPNcricinfo reports. Under overcast skies, Jain claimed figures of 5/49 and Kartikeya added 4/53, as the spinners combined to bowl South Zone out for a mere 149 runs in 63 overs at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence.

Central Zone's response was strong, with openers Danish Malewar and Akshay Wadkar reaching 50 without loss before bad light halted play. South Zone's new opening partnership of Mohit Kale and Tanmay Agarwal managed only 24 runs in 15 overs before Jain and Kartikeya's spin attack triggered a collapse.

After lunch, the troubles continued for South Zone as Jain and Kartikeya capitalized on their momentum. Despite a brief counterattack featuring Salman Nizar, South Zone struggled to build any significant resistance against the relentless spin duo.

(With inputs from agencies.)