Defending champions South Zone were knocked out in the Duleep Trophy semi-finals by Central during the four-day game that concluded at the MAC on Tuesday.

A match that was decided on the first-innings lead hung in balance after the opening day’s play. Deciding to bat first, Central were bowled out for an average tally of 292. Mohammed Kaif’s century stuck out like a sore thumb in an otherwise feeble first-innings score tag.

With the kind of strong batting-order South enjoy, they would have backed themselves to better their opponent’s total without much ado.

However, their strength fell flat on its face to capitulate at an inconspicuous 183 that gifted the visitors an all-important lead.

South Zone skipper Subramaniam Badrinath was a crestfallen man after his team failed to make use of a golden opportunity. “We did really well to restrict them in the first-innings.

The target (to take the lead) was very much feasible. It was a collective failure by our batsmen. I got run out at a crucial juncture and there were some poor shot selections that didn’t help our cause either. These sorts of things are not warranted in a four-day fixture,” said Badri.

“And it was always trying to catch up after we had conceded the lead. With the wicket getting slower, it was tough to run through their second innings. Nonetheless, it was dismal batting in our first essay that cost us dearly.”

All eyes were on the pitch after a yawn-inducing featherbed was prepared for the Ranji final last month. But this time around, it was a sporting enough wicket which offered opportunities to both batsmen and bowlers alike. “The square was definitely better than the previous one we played against Rajasthan. This one had more bounce on it,” noted Badri.

South had their share of injury woes to contend with. First it was M. Vijay who was forced to sit out due to an injury. And then, South’s strike spinner Pragyan Ojha was ruled out on match day due to a stomach bug.

But the biggest blow came when their productive opener Abhinav Mukund had to retire-hurt in the first-innings due to a wrist contusion. “We were definitely one spinner short. Ojha would have made a big difference on this strip. Abhi’s retreat was also a big blow.

He was in good nick throughout the season. Being an opener, his role was very crucial. We were a touch unlucky in the injury department.

But then, there is no taking away anything from Central’s performance. They played better cricket to emerge on top,” added Badri.

Central batted till lunch on the final day before the declaration eventually arrived at 530 for eight — thus setting South an improbable target of 641 in a maximum of 52 overs.

Central’s continuity made it so onerous that at one point, Badri and Robin Uthappa were seen sarcastically applauding when Robin Bist reached 150.

When asked about Central’s delayed declaration in the second innings which made it a no-contest, Badri’s eyes lit up.

“I saw that coming. Gone are those days, when teams used to make a sporting declaration and set targets.

I thought maybe they could have declared after playing for an hour on the last day but they continued to bat till lunch,” said Badri. On a departing note, the stylish right-handed batsman added that he is feeling good about his batting and was looking ahead for a prolific season.