If you have Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Unmukt Chand, Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia in your eleven, how can bowling be your strengthIJ That was the question on everybody’s mind who gathered to watch Delhi versus Haryana Ranji Trophy match at the Roshanara Club ground here on Thursday. Delhi were 194 for 8 at the end of day one.
Delhi, who have just three points from three matches, chose to play their home matches at the Roshanara instead of the Ferozshah Kotla stadium, which is their home ground, in search of an outright win. And Delhi skipper Gambhir justified the decision by saying that they were playing on their strength. In short, Delhi’s strength is pace bowling and green top at Roshanara would suit them more than placid pitch at Kotla.
But their claims fell flat on the face on Thursday as Delhi lost the toss and Haryana pacers made probably the best batting line-up - at least on paper - in the domestic circuit running for covers. Their top four - Sehwag (3), Chand (1), Gambhir (29) and Manhas (9) - were back in the pavilion even before lunch.
Although Bhatia (39) and Punit Bisht (33) fought hard to take their team to a respectable total, Haryana’s five-man pace attack, who all are accustomed to bowl on seam-friendly pitches as their home ground Ch Bansi lal Cricket Stadium in lahli is arguably the quickest wicket in India, bowled a disciplined line to keep the pressure on.
left-arm medium pacer Sanjay Budhwar (4 for 56) and the experienced Joginder Sharma (2 for 32) were Delhi’s chief tormentors. Other seamers, including skipper Harshal Patel, too supported well from the other end keeping a tight line and length.
Sehwag and Gambhir were the prime focus in this match but both of them disappointed. After Chand played a rather expensive cover drive off Budhwar and offered a low yet simple catch to Patel at covers, Sehwag, who doesn’t want to open the innings but was in the middle only after 11 balls, looked completely out of place.
During his 30-ball stay, he mostly played and missed and even survived a close lBW appeal off Joginder, who eventually ended Sehwag’s struggle with an away going delivery. Joginder pitched the ball just short of good length and moved it away as Sehwag, playing away from his body, edged it to the wicketkeeper Nitin Saini. So far, Sehwag has just 63 runs from five innings in the Ranji Trophy this season.
Gambhir too was uncomfortable against seam movement and was trying hard to survive. Not once in his 84-ball innings he looked at ease but, to his credit, he fought hard to stay in and looked determined to not give away his wicket. But just before the lunch break, Budhwar’s incoming delivery breached his defence and after taking the inside edge of the bat removed his middle stump.
But, it’s not going to any easier for Haryana on Friday as Delhi too have a potent pace attack led by Ishant Sharma. It will be a test for Haryana batsmen and first innings lead wouldn’t matter that much as the match is poised for a result.
Brief Scores
Delhi (1st Innings): 194/8 in 84 overs (Rajat Bhatia 39, Punit Bisht 33, Sanjay Badhwar 4/56, Joginder Sharma 2/32) vs Haryana.