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Delhi in commanding position

Special Correspondent

Rajkot: Delhi is well poised to surpass Saurashtra’s first innings score of 241 in the first hour on Sunday. At 215 for two at the end of the second day’s play of their Ranji Trophy super league encounter at the Race Course ground, Delhi is happily placed.

Seamer Parvinder Awana was its hero with his first five-wicket haul in his 10th match of the competition. Then openers Akash Chopra (58, 5x4) and Shikar Dhawan (83 batting, 6x4) got into the act followed by Virat Kohli’s solid endeavour (69, 7x4, 1x6).

A seasoned campaigner, Delhi skipper Chopra ordered for the heavy roller on a batting track once Awana prised out last wicket. The pitch turned out to be an admirable ally and the stereotyped left-hand seam attack of Sandeep Jobanputra and Balkrishna Jadeja lacked the extra pace to be truly effective.

Kohli shines

Chopra and Dhawan, encumbered by their team’s fourth position in their group with 11 points, cut out all frills. The arrival of Kohli after Chopra saw the Delhi scoring rate improve substantially.

Kohli cut left-arm spinner Rakesh Dhruv to the third man fence for four, repeated the shot, pulled the same bowler wide of mid wicket, thumped a shot over mid on and then danced down the pitch to hit the ball straight on to the sight screen.

The scores: Saurashtra — 1st innings: C. Pathak c Bisht b Narwal 15, B. Chauhan lbw b Nanda 61, S. Kotak c Dhawan b Awana 3, C. Pujara (run out) 15, R. Jadeja b Awana 56, J. Shah c Bisht b Awana 11, S. Jogiani b Nagar 28, R. Dhruv c Chopra v Narwal 13, K. Makwana (not out) 7, S. Jobanputra c Bisht b Awana 5, B. Jadeja c Chopra b Awana 5; Extras: (b-10, lb-3, nb-7, w-2) 22; Total: (in 87.3 overs) 241.

Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-41, 3-73, 4-154, 5-177, 6-178, 7-208, 8-226, 9-233.

Delhi bowling: Narwal 21-6-50-2, Sangwan 13-2-44-0, Awana 20.3-2-60-5, Bhatia 7-1-21-0, Nanda 21-7-44-1, Nagar 5-0-9-1.

Delhi — 1st innings: A. Chopra c Kotak b Dhruv 58, S. Dhawan (batting) 83, V. Kohli (run out) 69, M. Manhas (batting) 3; Extras: (lb-2) 2; Total: (for 2 wkts in 84 overs) 215.

Fall of wickets: 1-96, 2-208.

Saurashtra bowling: Jobanputra 18-1-54-0, B. Jadeja 16-5-31-0, Makwana 21-7-25-0, R. Jadeja 9-1-25-0, Dhruv 20-2-78-1.

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