Duleep Trophy: How the song of fire and ice stand of Musheer and Navdeep resurrected India B on Day Two | Cricket News

A thunderous din on the mid-wicket tin roof of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium set a cast of hawks scrambling across the ground on Friday afternoon.Their siesta was durbed a monstrous slog-sweep from Musheer Khan, who could not put a foot wrong after occupying the crease for nearly eight hours across two days. He had stupefied Kuldeep Yadav, India’s premier wr-spinner, all morning and controlled the overall proceedings—even the fields of India A captain Shubman Gill. Batting on 175, Musheer enhanced his statement with the six and wanted more. Treading well over the fine margins of his uncharacteric defence and shotmaking, Musheer looked assured to double up his overnight century.
But when he attempted to subdue Kuldeep with another slog, the right-hander failed to read the shorter delivery. The ball landed in the hands of the deep square-leg fielder, but the damage was done.
The 19-year-old Mumbaikar had cemented India B’s resurrection, manned a second consecutive wicketless session with No. 9 Navdeep Saini, and delivered a smooth exhibition of temperament and situational nous.

Magnificent Musheer 🔥
Re-live his magical knock of 181(373) 📽🔽️https://t.co/Ug8CGHHrf0
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Drooping shoulders
the end of the opening day’s play, Musheer and Navdeep had already become an unlikely hit for their side with their 108-run association. The pair remained resolute and doused the early plans from the India A seamers in the first session on day 2.
Navdeep was strikingly effective in guarding his off-stump, offering Musheer ample cushion to explore the expanding vacant zones. Gill’s unimaginative field placements with seven men on the fence barely ruffled Musheer as he chugged along with singles and adequate boundaries.

Navdeep Saini has brought up his 50 🙌
What a crucial knock this has been 👌#DuleepTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank
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Musheer’s immeasurable capacity to make the most of his funky methods stood out. He can duck a bumper and convert it to a flashy ramp over the slip cordon for a four. He can also whisk past Akash Deep’s potent out-swinger with a momentary jerk of his arms to save the outside edge.
The extra second, the calculated reaction to every proposed question, was the hallmark of Musheer’s classic. “I was trying to play the ball as close to my body as possible and was looking to avoid those risky shots. I knew runs would eventually come,” he had said on day 1.
Bowlers failing to turn up to their best also helped. The energy of India A fielders took a collective plunge when Musheer hooked a struggling Avesh Khan over backward square and square-leg for a six and four off consecutive deliveries. Avesh, who regularly hit 140kph speeds on red-soil strips back home in Indore, failed to touch the 130 mark throughout an insipid spell.
Captain Gill was also restricted in deploying alternatives like part-timer Riyan Parag for an extended period as Musheer biffed Kuldeep with elan, totalling 59 runs. Appearing short on confidence, Kuldeep often slipped into his older avatar, where full and slower deliveries marred his bowling map.
While Parag later came close to prising out Musheer, the teenager only holed out on 181 (373b, 16×4, 5×6) after the longest innings of his fledgling but firm First-Class career. Consequently, Musheer and Navdeep’s 205-run stand set a record for the highest 8th wicket-or-lower partnership in the tournament.

Terrific delivery 🔥
Excellent catch 👌
Navdeep Saini bowled a peach to dismiss Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant pulled off a superb diving catch to remove Mayank Agarwal.#DuleepTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank
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Navdeep’s day out
Having spent years on the fringes of the Test side with injury concerns, Navdeep had nearly walked into oblivion before receiving a Duleep Trophy lifeline. The 31-year-old had only played a handful of First-Class games over the last four seasons and only has one five-wicket haul to his credit since 2020.
The Haryana pacer relished his time out with the bat, pushing and poking with the occasional stroke of adventure. Navdeep’s marathon also marked his highest score and longest stay at the crease in all professional cricket with a 144-ball 56, limbering up well for his bowling stint.
While Gill and Mayank Agarwal sped India A off the blocks in reply to B’s 321, pacers Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal and Navdeep were culpable in offering the early freebies on length. Gill feasted on over-pitched balls through the off-side before Navdeep conjured up a moment of magic.
Going wide at the bowling crease, Navdeep hurled the ball with a downward angle. Gill gently planted his front foot forward before stopping in his stride, deciding to leave the delivery on its line, well outside the off-stump. The deceptive corker from Navdeep acted late from a fuller length and zoomed in sharply to rattle the off-stump, evoking memories of Gill’s bizarre leave against Scott Boland in the World Test Championship final at the Oval last year.
Running high on fortune during a six-over spell (6-1-32-2), Navdeep capped his day strangling Mayank down the leg with a stray delivery that pitched past the leg-stump line.
Wobbly KL stays afloat
No. 4 KL Rahul and Riyan Parag were entrusted to avoid further casualties. Rahul cocooned himself into a chunk of dots, restraining himself from forceful drives against a string of inside edges. Adding only three off 30 deliveries, Rahul’s reckless flail at a bumper from Mukesh Kumar was also put down at third slip.

Another intriguing day ends!
India A are off to a steady start at 134/2 in response to India B’s 321.
KL Rahul (23*) and Riyan Parag (27*) are at the crease with India A trailing 187 runs.#DuleepTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank
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— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 6, 2024
Though the pacers’ failing lines slowly began to reflect on the scoreboard, B skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran only used a solitary over of spin in the evening. As the hawks returned for a leisurely flight, Rahul and Parag grew sharper in the middle, leading India A to a safe checkpoint with an unbroken 68-run stand before close.

Brief Scores: India B 321 all out (Musheer Khan 181, Navdeep Saini 56, Akash Deep 4/60) vs India A 134 for 2 (Riyan Parag batting 27, KL Rahul batting 23, Saini 2/36)