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Saturday, Nov 24, 2007
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Delhi takes charge

Special Correspondent

Sangwan and Ishant make full use of the conditions

— Photo: Vivek Bendre

CLUELESS: Mumbai’s Ajinkya Rahane is bowled by Delhi’s Ishant Sharma in the Ranji Trophy match at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.

Mumbai: With a stellar demonstration of pace and seam bowling by Pradeep Sangwan, Delhi looked set to call the shots against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy Super League Group ‘A’ match at Wankhede Stadium.

The left-arm seamer struck vital blows in the first hour on Friday to put the defending champion under immense pressure. Just out of the under-19 ranks, Sangwan kept the top order guessing right through his opening six-over burst, efficiently using the seam and showing intelligence in hitting the deck hard and surprising the batsmen with extra bounce.

Easily, Sangwan was the star player for Delhi though left-hander Gautam Gambhir played a terrific undefeated 81 to bring his team within the striking distance of Mumbai’s paltry total of 166 in 44.3 overs.

Openers Sahil Kukreja and Ajinkya Rahane were clueless in the short time they spent in the middle and faltered, beaten by late swing and pace.

Kukreja managed to score a boundary behind point in the second ball he faced, but lost his leg stump two balls later. Rahane looked out of sorts facing Ishant Sharma, who generated speed and sent down deliveries of an exacting length and line. The tall seamer broke Rahane’s off stump and the two emphatic dismissals inside the first half hour resulted in Delhi taking charge.

Short balls

Sangwan surprised Rohit Sharma with a couple of short balls. Sharma hit an authentic cover drive and pulled the left arm seamer front of square, but was trapped in front by a delivery that swung in late.

Skipper Amol Muzumdar appeared all set to play the anchor role before Virat Kohli, at gully, stretched his left hand to bring off a brilliant catch clutching the ball inches off the ground.

After his departure in the fifteenth over, Mumbai struggled to advance. Sangwan, though hammered by Ramesh Powar for three fours in a row, took his third wicket making most of the trap set for Vinayak Samant at backward square leg. Delhi began the chase with Gambir smashing Ajit Agarkar for five fours in the latter’s first two overs, but Aakash Chopra (dropped on three by Naik off Avishkar Salvi) fell leg before to the same bowler.

Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli (dropped by Rahane at gully off Nayar) perished edging to the ‘keeper and Agarkar effected a direct throw to send back Mithun Manhas.

The scores: Mumbai — 1st innings: S. Kukreja b Sangwan 4, A. Rahane b Sharma 8, R. Sharma lbw b Sangwan 10, A. Muzumdar c Kohli b Bhatia 8, P. Naik c Sangwan b Narinder 40, A. Nayar c Manhas b Sehwag 2, A. Agarkar c Nanda b Narinder 32, V. Samant c Sharma b Sangwan 12, R. Powar c Sangwan b Sharma 20, B. Patel (not out) 4, A. Salvi b Sharma 0. Extras (lb-12, nb-7, w-7) 26, Total (in 44.3 overs) 166.

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-23, 3-32, 4-64, 5-67, 6-120, 7-133, 8-161, 9-165.

Delhi bowling: Sangwan 12-4-38-3, Sharma 10.3-1-60-3, Bhatia 7-2-7-1, Sehwag 6-0-21-1, Nanda 4-2-2-0, Narinder 5-2-26-2

Delhi — 1st innings: A. Chopra lbw b Salvi 12, G. Gambhir (batting) 81, V. Sehwag c Samant b Nayar 16, V. Kohli c Samant b Salvi 19, M. Manhas (run out) 4, R. Bhatia (batting) 18. Extras (lb-6, nb-3) 9. Total (for four wkts. in 43 overs) 159.

Fall of wickets: 1-42, 2-76, 3-127, 4-133.

Mumbai bowling: Agarkar 7-1-36-0, Salvi 12-2-28-2, Nayar 15-5-39-1, Powar 7-0-37-0, Patel 2-0-13-0.

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