Southern region 312 (Tilak 116, Shreyas 87, Brar 4-88) and 182 for 3 (Tilak 51*, Jagadeesan 43) were won. Northern region 195 (Iqbal 76, Kavirappa 4-66) and 297 (Sangwan 76, Dusija 52, Nidhesh 5-56) for seven wickets.
Tilak, who batted at number four for Souths after losing two quick wickets before lunch on Wednesday, put together an unbroken 80-run stand with R Samaran, who finished on 31 not out, chasing 181. Tilak, who survived a near-pound scream off the first ball off left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq, played largely within himself until the run was reduced to less than 50, when he extended his range.
Samaran, who was gunning for an India A berth after a strong season in Ranji where he was the highest-awarded, was happy to play second fiddle throughout, rotating the strike without allowing the spinners to assert any pressure. The calm black soil surface did not help the bowlers much either.
However, Mushtaq took two wickets with his pure skill, although he lacked the same kind of bite with which he came off the roof in the quarter-final. However, this pitch was a red soil surface that kept the bowlers in the contest all four days.
The game itself turned dramatically late in the afternoon of the third day when a south seam attack got things going. Kerala all-rounder MD Nidheesh claimed his 10th first-class haul with five for, en route to figures of 5 for 56. This included the fall of all three North wickets early in the first session on Wednesday, leaving them with a lead of 180.
South started on a positive note with openers Ricky Bhui and N Jagadeesan scoring 64 before losing two wickets inside eight deliveries. No. 3 Sheikh Rasheed endured a difficult match, being dismissed for 1 to go with 0 in the first innings to leave the South in choppy waters until Samaran and Tilak led them to the final.
