Date:20/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/20/stories/2008122056782000.htm

Sport - Cricket

Delhi bounces back into contention

Sports Reporter

JAIPUR: Making amends for its shoddy work on the first day, Delhi bounced back into contention with a resolute all-round performance on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Super League match against Rajasthan at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here on Friday.

The Delhi bowlers were on target to dismiss Rajasthan for 295 in the first innings.

Thereafter, the opening pair of captain Aakash Chopra (50 batting, 7x4) and Shikhar Dhawan (58 batting, 10x4) forged a 117-run unbeaten partnership to strengthen the tourists’ position in the crucial match.

Rajasthan, resuming at 197 for two, lost Kuldeep Singh in the fourth over.

He could add only six runs before being run out. Five overs later, an out-of-form Venugopala Rao offered a catch at gully off Parvinder Awana.

Floodgates opened

Rao’s dismissal opened the floodgates as Rajasthan lost its remaining six wickets for just 72 runs.

Awana and the other medium-pacer Pradeep Sangwan scalped three wickets each.

Chopra and Dhawan provided Delhi with the foundation it needed. They scored runs freely — 50 coming off seven overs.

“We tried to settle down and then score runs. We did not plan to score runs quickly, but it’s good that it has happened. When aiming for an outright win, it will help,” said Chopra.

Coach Vijay Dahiya was non-committal about Delhi’s prospects. “We are closely watching the Saurashtra-Hyderabad match. The first target is to get past the 295-mark. Right now, I cannot say whether we would bat throughout the whole day tomorrow,” he said.

The scores: Rajasthan — 1st innings: Vineet Saxena (run out) 71, Vinod Chanwaria c P. Bisht b P. Awana 12, Kuldeep Singh (run out) 77, Y. Venugopal Rao c Virat Kohli b P. Awana 30, Robin Bisht b Pradeep Sangwan 38, Rajesh Bishnoi lbw b Chetanya Nanda 21, Vikram Singh c S. Dhawan b Rajat Bhatia 0, Vikrant Yadav lbw b Pradeep Sangwan 15, Pankaj Singh b P. Awana 2, Gajendra Singh lbw b Pradeep Sangwan 0, Mohd. Aslam (not out) 0; Extras (b-11, lb-8, nb-9, w-1): 29; Total (in 125.2 overs): 295.

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-157, 3-208, 4-223, 5-260, 6-265, 7-284, 8-293, 9-295.

Delhi bowling: Pradeep Sangwan 27-7-76-3, Parvinder Awana 30.2-10-40-3, Kapil Yadav 16-1-55-0, Rajat Bhatia 16-4-29-1, Chetanya Nanda 29-8-65-1, Yogesh Nagar 7-3-11-0.

Delhi — 1st innings: Aakash Chopra (batting) 50, Shikhar Dhawan (batting) 58; Extras (b-2, nb-6, w-1): 9, Total (for no loss in 30 overs): 117.

Rajasthan bowling: Pankaj Singh 10-2-35-0, Vikrant Yadav 10-3-33-0, Vinod Chanwaria 6-1-30-0, Mohd. Aslam 2-0-16-0, Gajendra Singh 2-1-1-0.