Yusuf Pathan's masterclass in the historic Duleen Trophy 2010 final [Source: X]Yusuf Pathan was a powerhouse of Indian cricket, known for his explosive batting and game-changing all-round abilities. He carved out a reputation as a high-impact match-winner who could single-handedly dismantle bowling attacks in limited-overs formats. From the domestic cricket circuit to the international arena, Yusuf proved to be a world-beater time and again.In the 2010 Duleep Trophy final, Yusuf Pathan played one of the best knocks of his cricket career to lead his side to a historic victory in first-class cricket. Dinesh Karthik leads from the front The final of the Duleep Trophy 2010 was played in Hyderabad between South Zone and West Zone. South Zone entered the match without their key players, like Robin Uthappa and Ravichandran Ashwin. Captain Dinesh Karthik took charge of a relatively young side and led by example right from the outset. South Zone ended with 356/6 with Karthik remaining unbeaten on 161. He continued his commanding innings the next morning, eventually scoring a superb 183. However, Irfan Pathan claimed a 5-wicket haul for the West Zone, and the South Zone were dismissed for 400. West Zone were visibly in trouble from the beginning as C Ganapathy ran through their batting line-up. Amidst the pressure, Yusuf Pathan responded aggressively. Despite receiving little support from the other end, he played an impeccable innings, registering a century to end with 108 runs off just 76 balls. Interestingly, the next best score for the West Zone was a mere 27 from Dhawal Kulkarni. In South Zone’s second innings, Dinesh Karthik once again proved to be the cornerstone of the batting line-up. He scored 150, and fellow wicket-keeper CM Gautam scored a solid 88 runs. Their partnership laid a strong foundation for the South Zone, allowing them to post a total of 386 before declaring. A double century by Yusuf Pathan for the history books Despite the match was in the South Zone’s control, the West Zone batters were determined to fightback in the fourth innings. Openers Chirag Pathak and Harshad Khadiwale provided the ideal start and added a crucial stand of 117 runs. Another significant partnership followed between Pathak and captain Wasim Jaffar, 100 runs for the second wicket. However, the West Zone once again faltered midway. They started losing wickets in quick succession. With 294 for 5, the target looked out of their reach with only the bowlers remaining. At this point, Yusuf Pathan once again took charge. The Pathan brothers stitched an important 84 runs, with Irfan being the primary contributor. Once Irfan was dismissed with the team total on 378, the entire responsibility fell on Yusuf. He found an able partner in wicket-keeper Pinal Shah, who could add just 16 runs in their partnership of 105 runs.Yusuf could continue to play his aggressive brand of cricket with Pinal giving a sense of assurance from the other end. When Pinal Shah was eventually dismissed, West Zone needed just around 50 runs to win. Yusuf Pathan, undeterred, completed the chase within the next 11 overs, with Ramesh Powar providing support at the other end. In the process, Yusuf reached his double century and remained unbeaten on 210 from just 190 balls, decorated with 19 boundaries and 10 sixes.The dramatic chase by West Zone came to an end as they secured a less likely victory by 3 wickets and entered the record books. They surpassed the previous highest first-class run chase of 513/9 recorded in Sri Lanka’s domestic cricket between Central Province and Southern Province. In the Duleep Trophy final, West Zone chased down a humongous 536 and ended with 541/7 in 136.3 overs.
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