Mayank Markande scored his highest First-Class score playing for India Green in the Duleep Trophy final against India Red. He scored unbeaten 76 to take his team from 112/8 to 231. The tailender added 60 runs with the ninth wicket and 59 with the last wicket to revive his team.
The innings wasn't easy for Markande. He not only needed support from the other end, but the tailender also had to deal with sledging from behind. Ishan Kishan, the India Red wicket-keeper tried his best to make Markande play a wrong shot, but couldn't succeed.
Markande and Ishan have played for the same Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians, and they share a good relationship and banter was harmless.
Ishan tried to poke fun at Markande by saying he doesn't have enough strength to clear the inner fielders. He even asked fielder at long-off to come inside. But the batsman kept his cool and always had a smile on his face.
Talking to ESPNcricinfo, Markande said, "We are very good friends, we're best friends in fact. My voice wasn't recorded on the mic, but we were bantering from the start. I was telling him, 'I don't want to hit. I am going to make you field all day'. He was telling me that I don't have the strength, and calling fielders closer. I told him, 'Call them wherever you want, I'm not going to hit'.
"It was all in good spirits. In fact, I'm out for dinner with him right now!"
The bonding between these two cricketers started way before they played together for Mumbai Indians in IPL. They know each other since Under-16. "We have been playing against each other since Under-16," Markande said. "We have been together in NCA camps, and then at Mumbai Indians also we were together. We have also played together on quite a few tours for India A."
Markande had to fight for his team. He wasn't eyeing his half-century, instead kept the focus on as many runs as he could add in the team's total. "I wasn't thinking of my fifty then, it was just that every run was important, and there was one run to be taken [on that ball]. I have seen Ankit, and he can defend the ball, so I thought he would be able to handle it," Markande said. "I was feeling good after this knock because the conditions were tough. They had good fast bowlers too, so I also felt I played well and with control and was in good touch. To see through those spells from the fast bowlers, who were bowling really well, was a confidence booster."
He is ready to give it back to his buddy Ishan Kishan. "The banter will keep going on," Markande said. "I'll speak till he's batting, this will go on with him."
(With Inputs of ESPNcricinfo)
