The famed Maharashtra batting came a cropper for the second time in as many days and let Delhi cruise to an unexpected innings and 61-run victory with a day to spare in the Ranji Trophy here on Sunday.
Delhi’s tally thus rose to 24 points and ended its three-year wait to advance to the quarterfinals. The victory — worth seven points including a bonus — not only shut the door on Maharashtra, but also took Hyderabad out of the qualifying race.
Hyderabad (9) was eyeing seven points against Assam and then hoping to get the better of Delhi in their last league match at home. But Delhi’s third victory crushed Hyderabad’s hopes of claiming the second qualifying spot from the group.
Karnataka, the other qualifier, seems set to top Group A.
On the third day, Maharasthra’s innings resumed at 59 for eight and lasted 10 overs before ending at 99. Armed with a lead of 320 runs, Delhi enforced follow-on. Maharasthra once again struggled for the better part of the day to be bowled out at 259.
For the second time in less than a day, Ishant Sharma provided the breakthrough by sending back opener Murtaza Trunkwala. If the first three wickets fell for 56 runs, the last six tumbled for 43.
In the intervening period, Maharashtra enjoyed its most productive phase with Rahul Tripathi launching a gutsy counter-attack that only delayed the inevitable. The right-hander’s fifth First Class century came off just 67 deliveries but ended at 106. The enterprising 78-ball knock included four sixes and 12 boundaries.
Tripathi was the main reason Delhi had to wait until the final session to come out as a winner. Tripathi added 68 for the fourth wicket with a circumspect skipper Ankeet Bawane (18) and another 92 for the fifth with wicketkeeper-batsman Rohit Motwani (39).
He displayed an array of strokes and frustrated Delhi in the second session. Eventually, Tripathi was declared leg-before to left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra, who finished with four wickets much like medium pacer Navdeep Saini.
This triggered off a lower-order collapse and the teams were not required to come out on the fourth morning.
The scores: Delhi — 1st innings: 419.
Maharashtra — 1st innings: Ruturaj Gaikwad c Pant b Ishant 0, Murtaza Trunkwala c Manan b Ishant 2, Rahul Tripathi c Rana b Ishant 10, Ankeet Bawane c Lalit b Saini 2, Rohit Motwani c Manan b Saini 12, Naushad Shaikh c Rawat b Lalit 23, Satyajeet Bachhav b Manan 1, Chirag Khurana b Vikas 29, Shamsuzama Mujtaba Kazi c Saini b Lalit 0, Nikit Dhumal st. Pant b Manan 6, Pradeep Dadhe (not out) 6; Extras (b-2, lb-6): 8; Total (in 35 overs): 99.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-7, 3-10, 4-14, 5-51, 6-56, 7-58, 8-59, 9-89.
Delhi bowling: Ishant Sharma 6-2-14-3, Navdeep Saini 9-2-26-2, Vikas Mishra 8-3-19-1, Manan Sharma 8-1-22-2, Lalit Yadav 4-1-10-2.
Maharashtra — 2nd innings: Gaikwad b Saini 21, Trunkwala lbw b Ishant 0, Shaikh lbw b Vikas 21, Bawane c Pant b Ishant 18, Tripathi lbw b Vikas 106, Motwani c Pant b Vikas 39, Khurana lbw b Vikas 33, Kazi c Rawat b Saini 2, Bacchav b Saini 5, Dhumal b Saini 0, Dadhe (not out) 0; Extras (b-8, lb-2, nb-4): 14; Total (in 63.3 overs): 259.
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-32, 3-56, 4-124, 5-216, 4-221, 7-246, 8-255, 9-255.
Delhi bowling: Ishant 11-2-33-2, Saini 18-4-57-4, Vikas 25.3-4-90-4, Lalit 5-0-27-0, Manan 4-0-42-0.
