Ananthapur (AP), Sep 22 (Reporter) India A emerged victorious in the 2024 Duleep Trophy, defeating India C by 132 runs to claim the title in a thrilling finale. The match, which saw strong performances from fast bowler Prasidh Krishna and off-spinner Tanush Kotian, ended with India A topping the points table with 12 points. Both Krishna and Kotian were instrumental in the second innings, taking three wickets each to help secure their team's title win. Heading into the final day of the competition, the Duleep Trophy was still up for grabs, with three teams—India A, India B, and India C—contending for the title. India B, however, saw their hopes dashed after a heavy defeat to India D, leaving the field open for a battle between India A and India C. India A's captain, Mayank Agarwal, made a bold move early in the morning session, declaring their second innings at 286/8 to give his bowlers enough time to dismiss India C, who needed 350 runs for victory. India C's chase got off to a shaky start as Vijaykumar Vyshak, unexpectedly sent in to open the innings alongside captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, was dismissed early. Despite this setback, Gaikwad and Sai Sudharsan put together a solid second-wicket partnership to steady the innings. However, their efforts were undone when young seamer Aaqib Khan removed Gaikwad, putting India C in a precarious position. While Sudharsan fought valiantly, scoring a brilliant 111, India C's middle order crumbled under the pressure. Off-spinner Tanush Kotian wreaked havoc with the ball, taking three crucial wickets to dismantle the middle order, while Prasidh Krishna's pace proved too much for the lower order. Krishna’s key breakthrough came when he dismissed Sudharsan, effectively ending India C’s hopes of victory. India C’s tailenders fought to take the match into the final overs, hoping for a draw that would have given them the title by a single point, but Krishna struck late to clean up the tail, securing the win for India A. India A’s success in the match was built on strong all-round performances. In the first innings, Riyan Parag top-scored with 73, while Shashwat Rawat added a crucial 53 to take their team to 297. Aaqib Khan and Avesh Khan combined with the ball to dismantle India C for 234 in their first innings, with Khan taking 3 for 43 and Avesh Khan picking up 3 for 64. In the second innings, despite solid contributions from Sudharsan and Gaikwad, India C were all out for 217, falling short of the target by 132 runs. Brief Scores: India A: 297 & 286/8 decl. (Riyan Parag 73, Shashwat Rawat 53; Anshul Kamboj 2-52) India C: 234 (Abishek Porel 82, Pulkit Narang 41; Aaqib Khan 3-43, Avesh Khan 3-64) & 217 (Sai Sudharsan 111, Ruturaj Gaikwad 44; Tanush Kotian 3-47, Prasidh Krishna 3-50, Aaqib Khan 2-26) In another significant match, India D routed India B by a massive 257 runs, ending their own Duleep Trophy campaign on a high note. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh stole the show with a career-best performance, taking 6 wickets for 40 runs in the second innings, while Aditya Thakare chipped in with 4 wickets to complete a comprehensive win. India D had set a stiff target of 373 after Ricky Bhui's century (106) in the first innings and an unbeaten 90 in the second led them to strong totals of 349 and 244/5 declared. India B’s response was dismal, with their top order collapsing. Abhimanyu Easwaran’s century in the first innings (116) and Nitish Reddy’s unbeaten 40 in the second innings were the only bright spots, as India B folded for just 115 in their chase. Arshdeep’s devastating spell left India B with no chance of recovery, and Thakare's four wickets wrapped up the innings swiftly, sealing a dominant win for India D. Brief Scores: India D: 349 (Sanju Samson 106, Ricky Bhui 56; Navdeep Saini 5-74) & 244/5 decl. (Ricky Bhui 90*, Shreyas Iyer 50; Mukesh Kumar 3-80) India B: 282 (Abhimanyu Easwaran 116, Washington Sundar 87; Saurabh Kumar 5-73) & 115 (Nitish Reddy 40*; Arshdeep Singh 6-40, Aditya Thakare 4-59) With this result, India D finished their campaign on a high note, while India A's victory secured them the Duleep Trophy title for 2024...////...