South Zone’s Ankit Sharma (99, 168 balls) and Andre Siddarth (84 not out, 190 balls) produced a masterclass in defensive batting but Central Zone are poised to land their first Duleep Trophy title in 11 years, ending the fourth day here on Sunday needing just 65 runs to seal the moment of glory.

Overnight 129 for two, South were eventually bundled out for 426 as spinners Kumar Kartikeya (4-110) and Saransh Jain (3-130) shared seven wickets between them.