The Eastern Zone defeated the Central Zone by four runs in the opening match of the Duleep Trophy on Saturday. The visitors secured a 428-424 victory at the home ground, taking an early lead in what should prove to be a tight competition.
The Eastern Zone's recent form suggested they would be dangerous opponents. They had won three of their last four matches, including a dominant 467-257 display against the North-East Zone just a week ago. The Central Zone, by contrast, had won only one of their previous four fixtures, losing narrow contests to the South and West zones.
The match itself produced a high-scoring affair that went down to the wire. The Eastern Zone built their total carefully, while the Central Zone chased hard but could not quite find the finishing touch. The four-run margin leaves little to separate the two sides in the standings.
Both teams enter the tournament with identical records - zero games played, zero points. This result puts the Eastern Zone ahead after one match, though neither side has yet established dominance in the competition.
