Iresh, Anustup guide East to 2nd successive Duleep title

In reply to East Zone's first innings score of 232, almost all the Central batsmen barring opener Tanmay Srivastava found it difficult to survive on a slow track which also offered appreciable turn as they were shot out for 189 in 83.5 overs.

Srivastava made a patient 94 off 252 balls with eight fours and was Iresh's fifth victim as he gave a simple catch to Ishank Jaggi at forward short-leg to become ninth central batsman to get out.

Left-arm spinner Iresh had career-best figures of five for 58 while Majumdar, who had done the star turn with bat during their maiden triumph last season, bamboozled the opposition with his leg-breaks and googlies to end with 4/29 in 7.5 overs.

The East Zone team management had read the pitch wrong when they left out leg-spinner Samar Quadri with only Saxena being the specialist slow bowler but it didn't take too long for skipper Natraj Behera to understand that spin was the key on the final day.

The turning point came when Behra handed the ball to Anustup in the 70th over which tilted the match decisively in East's favour. He immediately got Rawat caught behind with leg-break and his googly got rid of the dangerous Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0). From 147 for four, they were suddenly 165 for seven. There wasn't any looking back for the East after that.