Duleep Trophy 2017: Priyank Panchal hits impressive ton, Rishabh Pant's barren run continues

Lucknow: Gujarat opener Priyank Panchal started off his new season with a patient 105 in India Red’s none too impressive 232/5 as Murali Vijay and Karun Nair surprised one and all sharing bulk of the spoils for India Green on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy. However, another talented youngster Rishabh Pant’s barren run continued as he only managed 11 gifting his wicket to part-time off-spinner Vijay. Pant also had a disappointing tour of South Africa. [caption id=“attachment_4020791” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Priyank Panchal. AFP[/caption] Vijay (2/15 in six overs) and Nair (2/17 in seven overs) accounted for four of the five wickets that fell on the day. The only other notable scorer for the Reds was Bengal left-hander Sudeep Chatterjee (52). Panchal, the highest run-getter in last year’s Ranji Trophy was unlucky to miss out on India A’s tour to South Africa due to illness but showed grit and determination hitting 12 boundaries off 228 balls. Panchal’s knock makes him a certainty for India A’s upcoming series against New Zealand A. However Pant, who came into bat in the 77th over, didn’t show enough patience as Parthiv Patel snapped him up behind the stumps off Vijay. At the start, it was Panchal and Chatterjee, who safely negotiated the new pink ball adding 83 runs for the first wicket before Aniket Chaudhary bowled the Bengal batsman. Panchal, however, continued calmly in company of Ishank Jaggi, adding 75 runs for the second wicket before Vijay got his first breakthrough, breaching Jaggi’s defence. Panchal duly completed his hundred in the company of Dinesh Karthik (15 batting) before he was tarpped leg before off Nair’s bowling. The final hour of play saw the Reds get into a shell as Pant and Rahul Singh Gehlaut (4) were also back in the pavilion. Giving Karthik company is Krishnappa Gowtham (10) when stumps were drawn.