East Zone Vs South Zone LIVE Score, Duleep Trophy 2026 Final Day 3: Mukesh Kumar Draws First Blood | SZ - 34/1 (12)

Devdutt Padikkal survives a big shout as the replays show the ball was going over the stumps. Off-spinner Kounain Quraishi pitched it full; Padikkal came down the track looking to block, but the drift deceived him, and the ball hit his pads. A big shout from the keeper and players, but the umpires stayed unmoved. The keeper suspected the ball went above the stumps, and the replays confirmed it.

Mukesh Kumar struck a crucial blow for East Zone, dismissing Ricky Bhui for 1 off 18 balls with sharp assistance from wicketkeeper Kumar Kushagra and young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Bowling from a good length, Mukesh got the ball to jag back in sharply before drifting down the leg side as Bhui attempted a fine tickle. Though the appeal was initially turned down, Kushagra and Sooryavanshi instantly convinced captain Ishan Kishan to send it upstairs after a low, sharp grab to the left. Replays confirmed a faint edge, overturning the decision and giving East Zone a vital breakthrough.

East Zone holds an unassailable grip on the match after putting up a colossal 708 on the board. For South Zone to engineer any hopes of a turnaround, mounting a massive reply to secure that vital first-innings lead is non-negotiable. While their batting lineup certainly possesses the depth for the job, doing so against a probing pace battery of Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar will test every ounce of their resilience on a surface offering very few early gifts for the bowling side. With East Zone's attack hunting for patience over cheap breakthroughs, Day 3 serves as the ultimate litmus test: can South Zone lay down a stubborn marker with the bat, or will East Zone squeeze the life out of the contest and march closer to the silverware?

East Zone tightened their grip on the Duleep Trophy final, backing up a dominant Day 1 with another masterclass to rack up 708 all out against South Zone.

Resuming on 111, Ishan Kishan picked up right where he left off, cruising to a brilliant first-class double hundred before shifting into overdrive toward 250. Severe fatigue forced him to retire hurt, but the skipper bravely returned to the crease after Mohammed Shami’s dismissal, eventually falling for a magnificent 270 in the final over of the day.

Kishan found a rock-solid ally in Kumar Kushagra, whose stellar 101 anchored a mammoth 230-run stand for the fifth wicket. As the day wore on, a frustrated South Zone attack largely lost its teeth on a lifeless pitch, waiting in vain for a declaration that never came. Tripurana Vijay soldiered on to pick up four wickets, but the unrelenting lower-order resistance pushed the total past the 700-run mark.

Trailing by a colossal margin, South Zone faces a straightforward yet daunting assignment over the remaining three days: bat, bat, and bat to try and overhaul East Zone's massive total.

Hello and welcome to another blog - we bring the live score updates of the East Zone vs South Zone Duleep Trophy 2026 final from the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Stay tuned for further updates.