On the third day of the Duleep Trophy final, the Eastern region team further solidified its dominance over the Southern region. In the first innings, after responding to the impressive 708 runs scored by the Eastern region, the Southern region team managed to score only 242 runs by the end of the day, losing six players.
The Southern region still trails by 466 runs, and there is a threat of follow-on. An unusual event occurred during the last session of the day. On the 60th over, field umpire Virendra Sharma stopped Mohammad Shami for a ball inspection.
Mohammad Shami was dissatisfied with the condition of the ball and wanted to replace it, but the umpires warned the Eastern region team not to use excessive sweat to polish the ball. According to MCC rules, any manipulation of the ball's condition is prohibited.
According to MCC rule 41.3.2.1, players may polish the ball by rubbing it on their clothing. The rules do not specify how much sweat can be used. Therefore, using an excessive amount of sweat is not in itself a breach of rules or misconduct.
Under the rules, umpires can inspect the ball at any time and without prior notice. If an umpire believes that a player is attempting to alter the condition of the ball in violation of the rules, they can take immediate action.
Mohammad Shami bowled in the humid heat of Chennai in small spells. Although Shami took only two wickets for the entire day, his tight line and length forced the Southern region batsmen to give up. Mohammad Shami broke this pair, dismissing Shaikh Rashid (29) via Leg Before Wicket (LBW) after an excellent in-swinger. Following this, Shami demonstrated a magnificent reverse swing delivery, also dismissing the set batsman Smaran Ravichandran with a catch.
Mukesh Kumar also showed excellent bowling performance, taking two wickets. He caught Deudutt Padikkal (62) in his net, who was in good form. Part-time spinner Shikhar Mohan and Mohammad Kaunin Kuraiashi also secured one wicket each, closing all avenues for the Southern region's comeback.
From the Southern region's side, captain Tilak Varma remained on the field, scoring 56 runs. Besides Tilak, Deudutt Padikkal played a knock of 62 runs, but other batsmen could not play a big innings. By the end of the third day, the Southern region had a score of 242/6. The Eastern region is now just a few steps away from winning the title.