India, Sept. 6 -- Less than a year ago, Ishan Kishan returned to T20Is. Earlier this summer, it was the ODIs. Is Test cricket next?

On Sunday, on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy 2026 final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, East Zone captain Ishan made an unbeaten 111 to put his Test return case firmly back in focus. With 14 boundaries and two sixes, Ishan scored his second career Duleep Trophy century and his second fifty-plus score of this edition as East Zone took the honours on Day 1 against a clueless and toothless South Zone bowling attack.

On a placid Chennai track, where almost every batter got a start, South Zone's bowlers were erratic and lacked variation in their plans. Three East Zone batters scored at least a fifty, while ...