Sport - Cricket

Saurashtra in trouble

Rajkot: Saurashtra — after conceding a 143-run first-innings lead and at 46 for two in the second dig — finds itself in dire straits in the Ranji Trophy super league match against Delhi.

With Mumbai completing its win over Orissa at Cuttack and Gujarat beating Rajasthan at Jaipur on Sunday to advance into the quarterfinals, the outcome of this match will, in some way, determine the third qualifier from Group ‘A’.

Delhi needs five points here to be in the running for a quarterfinal spot. Once it takes its points tally to 16, it has to overwhelm Rajasthan in its next match and hope that Saurashtra does not take full points against Hyderabad here.

Sumit Narwal’s double strike late in the day ensured that Delhi will go into the final day’s play on Monday with its tail up. He had Chirag Pathak playing across and won a leg-before decision. He then ended Bhushan Chauhan’s two-hour vigil getting him to edge one behind.

On Monday, Narwal and Parvinder Awana will have the advantage of resuming the contest fifteen minutes earlier than the normal 9.30 a.m. start when they can look at the conditions to be somewhat favourable to use the seam.

Saurashtra will start the last day with the capable Sitanshu Kotak (14 batting) and Cheteshwar Pujara (7 batting). The third wicket pair’s presence in the first session is essential for Saurashtra to earn a draw.

Earlier, after Sandeep Jobanputra and Balkrishna Jadeja had dismissed Shikar Dhawan (93), Mithun Manhas (32), Bisht (1) and Narwal (7) with the second new ball, Rajat Bhatia (36), Chetanya Nanda (47) and Pradeep Sangwan (35) launched a counter-attack to take Delhi to 384.

With Mumbai and Gujarat qualifying from Group A, Saurashtra — on 18 points from five matches — will hope to earn one point here. Delhi, on 11 points from five matches, will look to skittle out Saurashtra for under 143 to win with a bonus point.

Saurashtra — Ist Innings: 241

Delhi — Ist Innings: A. Chopra c Kotak b Dhruv 58, S. Dhawan c Jogiyani b Jobanputra 93, V. Kohli run out 69, M. Manhas c Jogiyani b B. Jadeja 32, Y. Nagar c Chauhan b R. Jadeja 1, R. Bhatia run out 36, P. Bisht c Jogiyani b B. Jadeja 1, C. Nanda lbw b Dhruv 47, S. Narwal c Kotak b Jobanputra 7, R. Sangwan c Jogiyani b Makwana 35, P. Awana (not out) 0, Extras (lb-2, nb-3) 5; Total (in 140.3 overs) 384.

Fall of wkts: 1-96, 2-208, 3-255, 4-255, 5-260, 6-273, 7-313, 8-326, 9-384.

Saurashtra bowling: Jobanputra 34-7-90-2, B. Jadeja 31-7-83-2, Makwana 25-7-39-1, R. Jadeja 22-2-66-1, Dhruv 28.3-3-104-2.

Saurashtra — 2nd Innings: C. Pathak lbw b Narwal 2, B. Chauhan c Bisht b Narwal 22, S. Kotak (batting) 14, C. Pujara (batting) 7, Extras (nb-1) 1; Total (for two in 25 overs) 46.

Fall of wkts: 1-4, 2-38.

Delhi bowling: Narwal 9-2-19-2, Awana 7-2-16-0, Sangwan 4-1-6-0, Nanda 4-2-4-0, Nagar 1-0-1-0.

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