Yuvraj Singh hits double ton, proves he's ready for Test return

October 15, 2012
yuvi_double_ton

Comeback man Yuvraj Singh hits double century to take North Zone to 451 runs vs Central Zone in the semi-final of the Duleep Trophy.

Yuvraj slammed 208 runs before Central Zone bowler Murali Kartik took a return catch to dismiss him. He scored at an impressive rate of 86.00. He took 241 deliveries and hit 33 fours and three sixes.

On Sunday, Yuvraj made a brilliant comeback into first-class arena as he smashed an unbeaten century for North Zone against Central on the first day of a semi-final match in the Duleep Trophy.


At stumps, North were in commanding position having scored 346 for 4, riding on Yuvraj's superb unbeaten 133 while skipper Shikhar Dhawan also made his presence felt with an innings of 121.

The innings will certainly end any doubts whatsoever about Yuvraj's fitness and his ability to withstand the rigours of longer version of the game after recovering from rare germ cell cancer. He played only 152 deliveries during his knock on Sunday and hit 20 boundaries and two huge sixes off discarded India veteran Murali Kartik on Sunday. This is Yuvraj's 19th first-class century but certainly one he would remember for a long time to come.

Yuvraj, 30, who was judged man of the tournament in India's 50-over World Cup triumph last year, was treated for the cancer between his lungs in the United States earlier this year.


He returned after energy-sapping chemotherapy treatment in April and by August had been fast-tracked into the Indian team for the recent World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

Yuvraj ended the tournament with 66 runs in four innings and claimed eight wickets in five matches, the second highest among Indian bowlers after seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji's nine wickets.

India, the 2007 champions, won four of their five matches but failed to reach the semi-finals of the event eventually won by the West Indies.


Yuvraj's double-century is certain to put him in line for a recall when the four-Test series against England starts in Ahmedabad on November 15.

He has not played Test cricket since November last year when he turned out for two matches against the touring West Indies.

Yuvraj has played 37 Tests since his international debut in 2000, scoring 1,775 runs at an average of 34.80 with three centuries. He has also claimed nine Test wickets with his left-arm spin.





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