The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Chetanya Nanda, the silent worker

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Chetanya Nanda, the silent worker

VADODARA: Ishant Sharma grabbed the spotlight, fellow paceman Pradeep Sangwan followed in his wake to be among the wickets, but it was leg spinner Chetanya Nanda’s toil from one end over two long spells on a hot day at the Reliance stadium which deserves appreciation.

The only specialist spinner in Delhi’s ranks (Virender Sehwag is the surprise weapon), he limped off after two spells, the first 10 overs on the trot, then 17.1 overs before crumbling in his follow-through holding his right foot.

Nanda induced a well-settled Wasim Jaffer into a forceful drive, the ball snapped up by Virat Kohli within shouting range.

Mohd Kaif and R.P. Singh were the next two victims, both Rest batsmen paying the price for giving the charge.

The Delhi bowler, whom the team coach Vijay Dahiya rates as a silent worker worthy of more attention, sized up the wicket early on, kept pegging away at the stumps and repaid captain Virender Sehwag’s faith by performing the restrictive role.

Holding nerve

He is in the minor league in comparison to Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in the rival camp, but held his nerve against a virtual India batting order stretching from Jaffer and Dravid as openers, followed by Badrinath, Laxman, Kaif and Dhoni at number six.

The leg-break bowler has already snared 82 batsmen for Delhi in first-class cricket from 23 matches, averaging 24.91 per wicket.

His three wickets off 27.1 overs on Wednesday is just reward for bowling his heart out. — Special Correspondent

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