India, Sept. 6 -- Ishan Kishan reaffirmed his commitment to red-ball cricket with a glittering hundred as East Zone took control of the Duleep Trophy final with a commanding start against South Zone at Chennai on Sunday.

East Zone finished the first day at 385/4 with Kishan making an unbeaten 111. The left-hander's 10th first-class century came from 135 balls, contained 14 fours and a six, and took him past 4,000 first-class runs. More importantly, it came in a final in which East's batting depth threatened to make the South attack look increasingly ordinary.

There was a time when Kishan's commitment to the longer format was questioned. He had walked away from domestic cricket, a decision that ultimately cost him his central contract. O...