India D 306 for 5 (Samson 89*, Bhui 56, Bharat 52, R Chahar 3-60) vs India B
Samson stayed unbeaten on 89 off 83 balls at stumps, taking India D to 306 for 5 in 77 overs. He had Saransh Jain for company on 26.
After India B had elected to bowl, their bowlers were in for an early toil with Padikkal and Bharat stitching a 105-run stand for the opening wicket in 31.1 overs. Padikkal having scored fifties in both Duleep Trophy games so far added a third during a knock in which he hit eight fours. Bharat, who was promoted up the order, also cashed in stroking 52 off 105 balls with nine fours.
Padikkal was the first to depart edging Navdeep Saini through to the wicketkeeper. Bharat followed suit soon after, caught behind off Mukesh Kumar. Nishant Sindhu and Ricky Bhui then added a 53-run stand for the third wicket but when Rahul Chahar struck twice in quick succession, India D found themselves in a spot of bother.
The legspinner first had Sindhu caught in the 47th over. In his very next over then, he sent back Iyer for a five-ball duck as India D slipped to 175 for 4.
Bhui, fresh from a fourth-innings 113 in the previous match, continued his good form to become the third half-centurion of the innings. But like his other team-mates, he also fell in the fifties with Chahar grabbing his third wicket of the day. Bhui departed for 56 off 87 balls with nine fours.
Samson, however, made sure to carry on. He struck ten fours and three sixes in his quick half-century, dominating an unbroken 90-run stand off 109 balls with Jain.
For India B, Chahar was the most successful bowler picking up 3 for 60 in 13 overs while Mukesh and Saini chipped with a wicket apiece.
