Mumbai, Sept. 12 -- Performing in the final is always extra special. It is proof you can handle the pressure of important games. It's the reason, Central Zone's left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya Singh was over the moon on Thursday, having picked a four-wicket haul on the first day of their Duleep Trophy final against South Zone being played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru. Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar's decision to bowl first on winning the toss looked surprising but Kartikeya (4/53) combined with off-spinner Saransh Jain (5/49) to bundle out South Zone for a mere 149 runs to justify their skipper's call. In reply, Central were off to a good start, reaching 50/0 at the draw of stumps. Having only got a chance to play in the final because fellow left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey got picked for the India A side to play against Australia A, Kartikeya said he was determined to make an impact. "I have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. In my mind, whatever chance I get, even if I get only one chance, I have to make it count," Kartikeya said after the day's play. In 38 first-class games, the Madhya Pradesh player has taken 168 wickets including nine fifers, but it was his first Duleep Trophy game in two seasons and also the first red-ball match of the 2025-26 season. Talking about his game plan against the South Zone batters, the 27-year-old said he focussed on building pressure. "When I saw the wicket, I thought I would not find any help. I just wanted to keep bowling in the right areas and not give away runs easily," he said. "I saw the results of the recent games and wanted to be economical and put the batters under pressure. Just wanted to stick to my basics."...