Duleep Trophy: Rain spoils Aditya Sarwate's five-for as India Blue advance to final after holding India Green to draw

Dindigul, Tamil Nadu: India Blue booked a spot in the Duleep Trophy final after the final league game against India Green ended in a draw at the NPR College ground in Dindigul on Saturday. Vidarbha left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate stole the show on a rain-hit final day as he took five wickets to help India Green bundle out their opponents for 117 in 34 overs and earn an outside chance of scoring 201 to win outright to advance to the final. [caption id=“attachment_4174363” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representative photo. Getty Images[/caption] However, rain had the final say as the India Green innings was halted at 4.05 PM with the score at 14 for 2. After inspection by the umpires twice, play resumed at 7.15 PM and was interrupted again due to a problem of insects. Play was called off at 8.15 PM. India Blue secured three points to advance to the final against India Red, to be held from 4 September. Resuming at the overnight 21 for no loss, India Blue were shot out in just 34 overs as Sarwate spun a web around the batsmen. Dhruv Shorey played a lone hand with a polished knock of 40 before being stumped by Parthiv Patel off Sarwate. India Blue’s last six wickets fell in the space of 17 runs as Sarwate (5 for 32) and fellow left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra (3 for 36) inflicted maximum damage. India Blue had made 340 in the first innings and restricted India Green to 257.