The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Delhi has a score to settle

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 15, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Delhi has a score to settle

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Green grass and bounce provide a refreshing change from the placid track of Ferozeshah Kotla as Delhi and Saurashtra prepare for their Ranji Trophy Elite League match at the Roshanara ground from Thursday.

“It looks a good pitch. It is much greener and there would be bounce too,” said Delhi coach Vijay Dahiya.

Delhi began its campaign with a thumping victory over Rajasthan while Saurashtra gained the first innings lead against Himachal Pradesh.

For Saurashtra, the pleasing form of Cheteshwar Pujara and off-spinner Kamlesh Makwana helped the team in the last match.

Pujara hit a century and Makwana picked up nine wickets.

Given Delhi’s brilliant start to the season, Saurashtra would be hard pressed to stop the home team.

Improved look

Delhi has a score to settle. Last season, it had succumbed to Saurashtra by an innings at Rajkot but the team has an improved look on this occasion.

Virat Kohli signalled his intentions with a sterling century against Rajasthan even as Mithun Manhas slammed a century too.

Rajat Bhatia had a decent match with the bat and the ball but the pick of the lot was left-arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan.

Sangwan’s five wickets from the match highlighted the youngster’s accuracy as he prospered in the company of veteran seamer Amit Bhandari, who also took five wickets to justify his place in the side.

The attack would be bolstered by Ishant Sharma, who returns to the team from an injury in place of Kunaal Lall, who claimed two crucial wickets in Rajasthan’s first innings.

“We have a settled combination and I am sure the boys would make the most of the conditions,” said Dahiya.

The teams: Delhi: Mithun Manhas (Capt.), Aakash Chopra, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Mayank Tehlan, Rajat Bhatia, Puneet Bisht, Ishant Sharma, Pradeep Sangwan,

Amit Bhandari and Chetnya Nanda.

Saurashtra (from): Jaydev Shah (Capt), Cheteshwar Pujara, Firoz Bambhaniya, Rakesh Dhruv, Sandeep Jobanputra, Sagar Jogiyani, Sitanshu Kotak, Sandip Maniar, Kamlesh Makwana, Pratik Mehta, Ravindra Jadeja, Kanhaiyya Vaghela, Jayesh Odebra, Bhushan Chauhan, Sanail Natkan and Nikhil Rathod.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail