A fluent Sheldon Jackson (48 not out) and a defiant Dinesh Karthik (35 not out) steadied India Blue on Wednesday, as rain washed away a large part of the day/night's play yet again. After Kuldeep Yadav's (4/85) late burst on day two, India Blue reached 285/5 at the close of play on day three at Greater Noida.
Only 16.2 overs were bowled during the day after India Blue's innings was derailed during the last hour of the previous day's play. Karthik dropped anchor, while Jackson was a picture of confidence, taking on pacers Nathu Singh, Pradeep Sangwan and Ishwar Pandey. Both batsmen found the boundaries with relative ease and brought up 85 runs at a fair clip, going at a touch more than five runs an over.
Late on day two, Kuldeep Yadav took four late wickets after Mayank Agarwal and Gautam Gambhir had built a 151-run stand. Nathu Singh removed the India Blue skipper, trapping him leg before. Agarwal had struck a six off Yadav, but the bowler had his number when the opener went for one shot too many and ended up being stumped. Baba Aparajith, Suryakumar Yadav and Karn Sharma departed cheaply, falling prey to the guile of Kuldeep Yadav, who cashed in on the dampness of the pitch.
With one day to go, a result looks improbable with heavy downpour in and around the areas surrounding the Indian capital.
India Blue 285/5 (Mayank Agarwal 92, Gautam Gambhir 77, Sheldon Jackson 48 not out; Kuldeep Yadav 4/78) vs India Red.
