Sport - Cricket

Delhi has a job on its hands

— PHOTO: PTI

In top gear: Abhishek Nayar chipped in with an aggressive 93 to power Mumbai into a position of strength against Delhi.

Mumbai: The tussle between the many time National champion and a reputed adversary has spilled over to the last six hours of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group ‘A’ tie at the Wankhede Stadium. Outsmarted in the first session three days ago, Mumbai deployed its resources efficiently and effectively thereafter and has set a stiff fourth innings target of 387 for Delhi to strive for full five points from the match.

Thanks to Sahil Kukreja’s fine show of patience and off-side stroke play (199, 380m, 272b, 25 x 4s, 1 x 6), Abhishek Nayar’s typical show of aggression (93, 120m, 96b, 11 x 4s, 3 x 6s) and Ajit Agarkar’s astute effort (60, 117m, 69b, 7 x 4s, 2 x 6s) with the bat, Mumbai was able to stretch its second innings total to 471 before Amol Muzumdar applied the declaration. Showing no signs of wilting under pressure, Delhi’s opening pair Aakash Chopra and Gautam Gambhir whittled down the target by 59 runs.

Kukreja who threw away a chance to notch his first double century in the BCCI’s domestic competition, Nayar and Agarkar may have stolen the thunder on a day when the bowling was flayed for nearly 200 runs in the first two and half hour session, but not far from the Mumbai trio was Delhi left-arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan. The 17-year-old who took three wickets in the first innings, impressed again with the ability to bring the back ball into the right hander from over the wicket and was rewarded with a first five-wicket collection in his career that’s only three weeks and as many matches old. Sangwan might soon join the plethora of left-hand seamers to don the India cap; he’s given sufficient evidence of making the grade.

With a ball that was 50 overs old, Sangwan produced an in-dipper that rapped Muzumdar in front. Rohit Sharma who had fallen victim to Sangwan in the first innings, was nonplussed for 23 minutes and 14 balls before he gifted his wicket playing a nothing shot to a bouncer from Mumbai’s chief tormentor.

After Sharma’s injudicious shot, Kukreja and Nayar punished the spinners — Chetanya Nanda in particular and the off-spinner Narinder Singh. The pressure to bowl 37 overs by lunch session and urgency to avail the second new ball when it was due resulted in Mumbai making the most of the scoring opportunities presented by the slow bowlers. Their fifth-wicket partnership delivered 174.

Delhi claimed the second new ball in the 84th over and Sangwan got into the act capturing the wickets of Nayar (bowled off the under-edge) and Kukreja flashed outside the off stump and nicked for Chopra to take off from second slip and take the catch in front of the first. The Mumbai second innings revolved around Kukreja and after his exit, Agarkar — in good nick this season — batted with purpose to make a stroke-filled half century.

Mumbai was denied further gains in the last hour. Delhi used the heavy roller and thereafter Chopra and Gambhir faced the attack in a calm manner, though the left hander on 11 escaped getting run out at the striker’s end when Agarkar picked up the defensive shot on his follow through and attempted a direct hit, but missed the stumps.

The scores:

Mumbai — 1st innings: 166.

Delhi — 1st innings: 251.

Mumbai — 2nd innings: S. Kukreja c Chopra b Sangwan 199, A. Rahane c Bisht b Sangwan 20, P. Naik lbw b Narinder 23, A. Muzumdar lbw b Sangwan 7, R. Sharma c Bisht b Sangwan 0, A. Nayar b Sangwan 93, A. Agarkar c Narinder b Bhatia 60, V. Samant b I. Sharma 6, R. Powar c Manhas b Bhatia 3, B. Patel (not out) 8, A. Salvi (not out) 4; Extras (b-22, lb-13, nb-10, w-3) 48. Total (for nine wkts. decl. in 112 overs) 471.

Fall of wickets: 1-91, 2-137, 3-174, 4-186, 5-360, 6-390, 7-399, 8-408, 9-467.

Delhi bowling: Sangwan 27-4-102-5, I. Sharma 27-6-73-1, Bhatia 10-2-28-2, Nanda 22-3-105-0, Sehwag 14-0-63-0, Narinder 11-1-60-1, Manhas 1-0-5-0.

Delhi — 2nd innings: A. Chopra (batting) 33, G. Gambhir (batting) 22; Extras (nb-4) 4. Total (for no loss in 20 overs) 59.

Mumbai bowling: Salvi 5-0-18-0, Agarkar 5-1-10-0, Powar 4-0-17-0, Nayar 5-2-13-0, Patel 1-0-1-0.

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