Bengaluru, Sept. 1 -- North Zone have managed to take a considerable lead of 139 runs in the second innings against South Zone, finishing third day's play at 256/7 in the second Semi-final of the Duleep Trophy 2026 being played here on Tuesday.

Day 3 started with South Zone skipper Tilak Varma adding crucial runs with 11th batter Kavuri Saiteja, who contributed 13 runs before Abid Mushtaq dismissed him. The duo added 42 runs for the 10th wicket, which helped the South post 312 runs in their first innings.

Varma remained unbeaten on 116 after playing 250 balls and hitting nine boundaries in his gritty knock. His 175-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Shreyas Gopal helped South Zone stabilise their innings and get a lead in the fir...