Duleep: North Zone make a cautious start on curtailed day

North Zone openers Jiwanjot Singh and Unmukt Chand made a cautious start as they reached 33 for no loss against East Zone with only 17 overs of play possible on a rain-curtailed first day of the Duleep Trophy semi-final in Kochi.

North Zone skipper Harbhajan Singh opted to bat after winning the toss and both Jiwanjot (18 batting, 60 balls, 3x4) and Chand (12 batting, 43 balls, 2x4) were cautious as they played out the new ball bowlers Ashoke Dinda and Basant Mohanty taking minimum risks.

Although there wasn't much of a downpour on the day but umpires couldn't start the game as the outfield of the Nehru Stadium remained wet as a result of which, 73 overs were lost on the day.

Brief Scores: North Zone 33/0 in 17 overs (Jiwanjit Singh 18 batting, Unmukt Chand 12 batting) vs East Zone.